Swapped
by sierramtns
Summary: Canon characters are swapped with one another, meaning Adrien lives with both of his parents in the Agreste bakery and becomes the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous while Marinette lives in the lavish Dupain-Cheng mansion with her mother and ends up becoming Chat Noire. (Based on the AU by @closeted demon on Instagram)
1. Chapter One

**This fanfiction is based on the AU created by closeted_demon on Instagram and closely follows the plot of multiple episodes in the Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir (with a few added scenes and changes, of course)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, any of the canon scenes presented in the series or the ideas created by @closeted_demon in this AU. I also do not own the artwork on the cover. That belongs to @closeted_demon as well.**

Chapter One

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"You should tell her."

Marinette glanced back at her best (and only) friend, Chloé Bourgeois, her eyes wide with shock.

"Don't look at me like that," Chloé said, putting down the brush she had been using to style Marinette's hair. "You've been complaining about being homeschooled for, well, forever, but you never do anything about it."

Marinette sighed. Chloé wasn't wrong, but talking to her mother was...well, it was downright terrifying.

"Come on, Mari," Chloé said, causing Marinette to turn her attention back to her blonde friend.

"Fine, fine, I'll talk to her tonight."

"Good."

And then the conversation returned to happier topics.

Sabine was already seated at the long dinner table when Marinette arrived.

"Did you finish your studies?" she asked as soon as she saw her daughter.

"Yes ma'am," Marinette responded, the same as she always did.

"And you practiced both your piano piece and dance routine?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good."

The room fell into silence once again, disturbed only by the occasional clinking of fork on plate. For the entire course of the meal, Marinette's stomach was twisting with nerves. Finally, when her dish was nearly completely empty, she managed to gather enough courage to clear her throat.

"Uh...Mom?"

Sabine turned to her daughter, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

"Do you think I could...uh...I could attend school?"

"Why would you want to attend school, Marinette? Nathalie already teaches you everything you need to know. I daresay you're ahead of the rest of the kids your age."

"I know but..." she trailed off.

"But what, Marinette?"

"But I...I want to attend school and have friends. Like Chloé does."

Sabine pursed her lips. "Marinette, you know it's too dangerous for you to go to school. You could end up like your father-" Sabine's voice cracked, and she averted her gaze.

Marinette ducked her head and sighed. "I'm sorry for asking, Mom," she mumbled before standing and dashing off to her bedroom.

The minute her door had slammed shut, Marinette dialed Chloé.

"I asked her," she said as soon as her friend had picked up. "She said it's 'too dangerous.'"

"Too dangerous?" Chloé asked, astonished. "That's ridiculous! What could be so dangerous about attending school?"

"I don't know," Marinette admitted. "I think she's just scared I'll run-off and leave her the moment I'm able to. Like Dad did."

"That's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous," Chloé said, and Marinette could envision her friend shaking her head on the other side of the phone. A long pause stretched between the two girls, and then Chloé whispered mischievously, "You should go anyway."

Adrien Agreste

"Adrien," Emilie called softly into the dark room. "Adrien, it's time to wake up. You don't want to be late to school on your first day."

His response was a series of groans as he rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. Emilie smiled softly and shook her head.

"Come on, sleepyhead. Get up." She pulled the covers off his bed, leaving him no way to block out the sunlight streaming through his windows. "Get dressed and come downstairs. Dad's got breakfast ready."

When his mother finally departed, closing the door and flicking on the lights before disappearing down the hall and leaving his covers discarded on the floor, Adrien managed to drag himself out of bed to get ready for the day.

Minutes later, he stumbled sleepily down the stairs.

"Good morning!" Gabriel greeted, waving to his son with one of his flour-covered hands. "Ready for your first day of school?"

Adrien yawned as he nodded; Emilie laughed and handed him a bagful of croissants.

"Have a great day," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom."

And, with that, he was gone.

The walk to school was not very far at all. Actually, the school was literally across the street from the bakery, and, for once in his life, he was not running late.

He reached the crosswalk just as the light changed from red to green, forcing him to wait. On the other end, an elderly man began to cross, seemingly unaware of the car racing towards him. Without thinking, Adrien dashed across the street, dragging the man to the other side and dropping the bag of croissants in the process. When they reached the sidewalk, Adrien handed the man his dropped cane, offered him a croissant, and raced across the street the minute the light changed red.

He burst into the classroom, red-faced and panting. Thankfully, Miss Bustier was too distracted by Alya Césaire, who she was moving to the front row. Adrien plopped into the seat he had sat in every year, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Baker Boy, but that seat is taken."

Adrien glanced up and groaned. Sabrina, backed by her usual lackey, Chloé Bourgeois, was standing over him, hands on her hips. There was no way he was going to say no to Queen Sabrina, so Adrien gathered his things and trudged to the front row, plopping down beside the new student, who smiled widely and extended his hand.

"Hey, dude! I'm Nino. Nino Lahiffe."

"Adrien Agreste," Adrien said, shaking Nino's hand. "Nice to meet you."

His mood, which had been lifted slightly by Nino's introduction, was instantly soured once again by Sabrina's haughty laughter.

 _She's probably celebrating her victory,_ he thought, gritting his teeth and wishing he had enough courage to stand up to her.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The next morning, Marinette awoke long before the rest of the household and pulled on the most fashionable and functional outfit she could find. After checking her hair in the bathroom mirror and applying a small amount of makeup, the bluenette slunk out the backdoor and bolted towards the school. When she was sure she was a safe distance away from the Dupain-Cheng mansion, she slowed to a walk, taking in the beautiful sunrise as Paris began to awake.

 _It won't be long now,_ she thought, glancing back to make sure Nathalie wasn't following her in the black limo her mother insisted on taking everywhere.

Then, a mere block from the school, she heard the familiar shout of her name.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Get back here!"

She didn't bother whipping around to check how close behind her Nathalie was. Instead, she raced towards the school, eyes fixed on her target: the front door. Once she got in there, she was safe.

She would have made it, too, but she was distracted by an elderly man lying on the sidewalk, feeling around for his cane. Without a second thought, Marinette veered away from the steps leading to the one place she had dreamed of going to for as long as she could remember.

"Here, let me help you."

The man glanced up and smiled. "Ah, thank you."

Marinette handed him the dropped cane and helped him to his feet. Then, she turned back to her goal, only to find it blocked by Nathalie and Uncle Wang, who were both wearing furious expressions. Defeated, Marinette allowed them to steer her into the car.

"I told you not to go!" Sabine hollered, her face pink with rage. "You didn't listen to me!"

Marinette kept her gaze trained on the floor. "I'm sorry, Mother."

"You could have been kidnapped! Or killed! Or-or-"

 _Or I could've run away._

"I'm sorry, Mother," Marinette repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Go to your room," Sabine said, her voice dropping from the hysterical scream to her usual cold tone. Marinette spun on her heel and stalked away. It took every bit of her self-control not to slam the door shut behind her. That would have only caused her mother to be even more upset.

Marinette flopped on her bed, buried her face in her pillow, and began to cry.

Adrien Agreste

"Alright class," Miss Bustier clapped her hands, "you are dismissed!"

The students began to file out, eagerly. Adrien made sure to stay as far away from Sabrina as he possibly could, Nino trailing behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, Adrien could see Kim and Ivan standing together. Kim dropped a folded piece of paper in Ivan's hand and walked away.

"Come on dude!' Nino said, dragging Adrien out of the classroom. "Our next class starts in a few minutes, and I don't want to be late."

Nino's dragging became more insistent a moment later when a giant, stone-clad monster emerged from the principal's office. Chaos broke out as teachers attempted to herd the entire study body into the library. The librarian snapped on the television, allowing the school to watch the monster through the safety of a screen.

"Where is he?! Where's Kim?!" the monster roared into the camera, causing multiple students, including Sabrina, to jump.

"He sounds like Ivan," Adrien murmured. "Why does he sound like Ivan?"

Nino shrugged. "But don't worry. A superhero will show up and save the day."

"How can you be so sure?" Adrien asked, turning to his friend.

"I just know."

Then, with a loud crash, the camera went black.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Sabrina," Nathalie called from the front of the house, "there's someone here to see Marinette."

"To see me?" Marinette asked, coming out of her room for the first time since they had gotten home. "Who is it?"

Nathalie waved towards the camera; Marinette crept closer and gasped. The elderly man she had helped up outside of the school was standing on their front step, smiling widely.

"I just want to thank the girl who helped me up today," he said. "Could you please send her out?"

Nathalie and Marinette both glanced at Sabine, who sighed.

"Very well. You may go see the old man, but only for a moment."

Marinette smiled and turned back to the camera. "I'll be right out."

Adrien Agreste

The students were clustered together, jam-packed in the library. Well, most of them were jam-packed. Sabrina and Chloé, however, had a wide bubble of space around them, as usual. No one was stupid enough to trespass into Queen Sabrina's territory.

"I'm gonna to go to the bathroom," Adrien whispered to Nino before darting off. He couldn't bear another moment squashed in that library, especially with the stone monster wreaking havoc outside.

He stepped into the bathroom and immediately fell on his face.

"What the…?" But his question trailed off when his gaze landed on the red and black octagonal box sitting in the middle of the floor. Curiosity got the better of him, and he lifted the lid, jumping back when a bright red glowing object shot towards him.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

As soon as Marinette opened the gates, the old man hobbled forward and threw his arms around her.

"You are truly an angel," he said, tightening his grip.

Marinette smiled and returned the embrace. "I just did what anyone would've."

The old man stepped back. "Ah, but no one else did." He gave Marinette one last grin and then turned and hobbled away.

When the man had disappeared around the bend, Sabine's voice crackled through the intercom. "Alright, Marinette. Come back inside."

Marinette sighed and walked back through the gates.

Adrien Agreste

The glowing sphere materialized into a small, red and black, person-looking thing. Adrien's eyes widened and he scrambled back.

"Oh, don't be scared," the thing said, smiling widely. "I'm Tikki, holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, and your Kwami."

"My-my-my what?" Adrien stammered.

"Your Kwami. Here, I'll show you." She dove back into the box, emerging a moment later with a ring balanced in her arms. The ring was black with a red symbol of a ladybug etched on the front. She held it out to Adrien. "Put this on."

Adrien took the ring, shakily, and slipped it on his finger.

"Good. Now all you have to say is 'Tikki, spots on!'"

Adrien shook his head. "I..I think you have the wrong person."

"Master Fu would never given you the Miraculous if he wasn't sure you were the perfect person for the job."

When Adrien still looked unconvinced, Tikki sighed and flew closer.

"Come on," she whispered. "Paris needs you."

"O-okay," Adrien said, standing up. He took a deep breath and then said, "Tikki, spots on."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"There, does that make you feel better?" Sabine asked when Marinette returned. The bluenette shrugged.

"I guess."

"Good. Now, go practice your piano. You have a recital coming up."

Marinette sighed and trudged back to her room. She closed the door, plugged her phone into her speaker, and turned on a recording of her practicing before collapsing back on her bed.

"Ouch," she muttered when something dug into her back. She slid her hand behind her and pulled out the mysteriously painful object. It was a black and red octagonal box.

"What's this?" she mused aloud as she opened it. A black orb flew out in front of her and materialized into a black, cat-like thing.

"Hello, ma'am," the thing said, bowing deeply. "I am Plagg, holder of the Black Cat Miraculous, and…" he paused for dramatic effect, "your Kwami."

"Kwami?" Marinette asked, circling Plagg.

"Yep."

There was a beat of silence, and then Plagg snapped, "Stop circling me. Paris needs your help."

"My help?" Marinette asked, confused. "Why…?" Her gaze landed on the window, where she had a clear view of the stone monster, flinging cars and roaring with anger. "What the heck is that?" she exclaimed, running to the window to get a better view.

"That is an akuma," Plagg said, bored. "You have to fight him."

"F-fight him?" Marinette exclaimed, shocked. "How-"

"With these," Plagg cut her off and motioned to the box he had risen from moments ago. Two earrings glittered in the sunlight, a silver paw-print engraved on the front of each one. Marinette carefully lifted them out of the box.

"They're beautiful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"They are, aren't they," Plagg responded, not at all modest. "Now, you just have to put them on and say 'Plagg, claws out' and-"

"Plagg, claws out!"

The Kwami was whipped away, mid-sentence; Marinette was enveloped in a whir of black light. A moment later, the light dissipated, and she was no longer dressed in the blue dress she had been wearing before. Now, her body was covered in a black leather suit, completed with ears emerging from her head, a mask covering her eyes, and a tail formed from the belt she wore around her waist. She reached back and traced the metal staff clipped to her hip. To put it lightly, she looked awesome.

"Let's go kick that akuma's butt!" she exclaimed as she jumped out the window.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien was surrounded by a glowing red light as Tikki whirled around him and into the ring on his finger. When the light faded, he blinked up at his reflection, shocked to see he was clothed in a red and black spotted super suit.

"Whoa," he breathed as he ran his hands down his suit and began to fidget with the yo-yo attached to his hip.

A roar from outside dragged his focus back to the problem at hand: the akuma. Adrien took a deep breath and pushed open the door, slinking down the halls until he was standing outside the school, his back pressed against the brick wall.

"Okay, let's see how this thing works." He threw the yo-yo up; it attached to the top of the building and dragged him along with it. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" he screamed as the yo-yo untangled itself from the building, throwing Adrien back down towards the ground. He screamed again and began throwing the yo-yo any way he could, hoping it would attach to something before he was flattened on the pavement.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette had extended her metal staff between two rooftops and was balancing on it as if it was a tightrope, obviously having the time of her life doing tricks and flips and not seeming at all frightened by the drop below her. She had just finished doing a very risky grand jeté when a series of screams caught her attention. She looked up just as a bright red object crashed right into her, knocking her off the makeshift tightrope.

The object turned out to be a boy dressed in the same suit as she was, except his suit resembled a ladybug rather than a cat. They were suspended in the air, tangled together by some sort of string, but Marinette didn't mind at all. She had found her partner (who turned out to be rather attractive), and she hadn't done anything more than messing around. _I'd call that a successful first day._

"I'm so sorry," the boy said, attempting to untangle them.

Marinette smiled softly and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the mechanical whirr of her staff retracting, dropping them back towards the street. Marinette calmly reached up and closed her hand around the staff while the boy screamed and flailed around. She wrapped her arm around his waist and extended her staff, breaking their fall. Now, they were only a few inches off the ground, allowing them to drop easily onto the sidewalk.

"As I was saying," Marinette said, retracting her staff and clipping it onto her waist before turning back to the boy with a smile, "I'm…" She paused for a moment, contemplating what name to choose for herself. "Chat Noire."

"And I'm utterly clumsy," the boy said, embarrassedly.

"Is that what you're gonna call yourself?" Marinette asked, laughing. But before he could answer, a crash sounded from the nearby television, which was broadcasting the stone monster as he landed in the Parc des Princes.

"We better go deal with that," Marinette said, using her staff to throw herself onto the rooftops.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien sighed as he watched Chat Noire run along the rooftops. She was a natural at this, and he was a failure. _What an ironic pair,_ he mused, swinging his yo-yo once again. It latched onto the nearest ledge and dragged him after his partner. He screamed the whole way.

Chat Noire landed gracefully on the grass in the Parc des Princes; Adrien landed on his face. Thankfully, the stone beast was preoccupied, giving the superhero duo time to prepare themselves.

Well, Adrien would have used the time to prepare them for their upcoming battle. Chat Noire, however, had other ideas.

"Hey, Stonie!" she called, waving her arms wildly above her head. "Over here!"

"What are you doing?" Adrien hissed, completely bewildered by her behavior.

"Getting his attention. Duh."

"Why in the world would you do that?"

But Chat Noire didn't have a chance to answer him because the akuma had turned towards them, and he looked furious.

Nino Lahiffe

Nino was crouched in the stands, his phone balanced on the top of the seat, videotaping the scene unfolding in front of him. The stone monster was glaring at Kim, who was cowering in the corner. A faint scream drew the teen's attention away from the exchange between the monster and his classmate. Nino swung his camera towards the incoming figures.

"No way," he breathed as the leather clad shadows came into view. "Real life superheroes."

Nino shifted his camera and zoomed in to get a clearer image. There was two of them, a boy and a girl. The girl was waving her hands, yelling for the monster's attention. She was either extremely brave or extremely stupid. The boy was staring at her in shock. This was obviously not part of their plan. That is, if they even had a plan.

The monster turned towards the heroes, enraged. The girl raised her hand above her head. A ball of sparklingly black energy formed from her palm. She closed her fist around it and brought it down, staring at it in awe. She reached over and brushed her hand along the goalpost; it disintegrated.

"Mega cool," Nino whispered, creeping out from his hiding place to try to get a better view.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette dashed towards the monster, intending to disintegrate him the same way she had the goalpost. But, when she touched her hand to the monster's foot, nothing happened.

"You can only use your power once," the boy explained, dodging the monster's fist. "Once you use your power, you have only five minutes before you change back into your civilian self."

Marinette frowned. "Plagg never told me that," she murmured, glancing up just as the monster's foot slammed into her, sending her flying across the stadium. She groaned as she hit the wall, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

When her vision cleared, the boy was standing over her, hand extended in an attempt to help her up.

"I have a plan," he said as Marinette grasped his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Do you trust me?"

"Absolutely."

"Good." The boy wrapped his yo-yo around Marinette's legs and chucked her at the monster. She screamed as the beast closed his giant, stone fist around her. Behind her, she could hear the boy yell, "Lucky Charm!" and, when she finally managed to turn around, he was holding a wetsuit and scanning the stadium.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, pointing towards the lone boy standing in the field, videotaping the fight on his phone.

"Me?" the civilian asked, pointing to his own chest. The boy nodded and motioned for him to come closer; the civilian obeyed. Their conversation became too soft for Marinette to hear from her position in the stone beast's grip, but then she heard a loud yell and glanced up to see the boy flying across the field, still holding the wetsuit. The beast opened his other hand to grab the boy, dropping a purple rock in the process.

"Now!" the boy yelled to the civilian, who had shoved his phone in his pocket just long enough to twist on the hose. The monster's hand exploded open, water gushing where the boy had been moments before. Marinette looked down and watched, awestruck, as the boy landed on the rock, breaking it open and releasing a purple and black butterfly. The stone monster shrunk into a teenage boy, and Marinette was dropped to the ground.

Nino Lahiffe

Nino was amazed to see the stone beast shrink into one of his classmates. The superboy watched the purple and black butterfly flutter away before throwing the wetsuit he had used to defeat the monster into the air, yelling, "Miraculous Ladybug!" A flood of black and red circles enveloped every damaged object, leaving a moment later to reveal the objects completely repaired. Nino caught it all on tape.

The two superheroes fistbumped, and then the girl ran off, leaving the boy to deal with Ivan. Nino crept forward, still filming, until he could hear what Superboy was saying.

"Just tell her, okay?" Superboy was saying. "I have a feeling she likes you too." The boy stood and began to walk away; Nino chased after him, rambling off question after question.

"Where did you get your powers? How long have you been a superhero? What should we call you?"

The boy turned and smiled at Nino. "Just call me," he paused a moment, "Beetlebug."

"Beetlebug," Nino murmured as Paris' new hero swung away.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette managed to duck behind a nearby building seconds before her suit melted away, disposing an exhausted Plagg on the sidewalk in front of her.

"Camembert," he moaned softly. "I need some Camembert."

Marinette wrinkled her nose. "Like the smelly cheese?"

Plagg nodded weakly.

"Alright, fine." She scooped the limp Kwami off the ground and set him gently in her purse. "I remember passing a bakery on my race to school this morning. Maybe they have some Camembert."

Adrien Agreste

Adrien ducked behind the nearest building as his suit disappeared. A soft groan whispered up from the pavement; Adrien looked down and was shocked to see Tikki lying limply on the ground, mumbling something about needing cookies. He bent down and gently lifted the tiny Kwami up, tucking her safely in his shirt pocket before walking towards the Agreste Bakery.

When he arrived, his mother wrapped him in a tight hug, murmuring how worried she had been and how she had thought he was going to be killed by the stone monster. Adrien smiled and returned her embrace.

"I'm fine, Mom. Really, I'm okay."

Gabriel joined the hug a moment later, flour still clinging to his hands, but no one cared that the white powder was smudging on their faces or in their hair.

The bell on the front door jingled, alerting the Agreste family that a customer had just entered. Adrien broke away from his parents and turned to see the most beautiful girl ever standing in the doorway, smiling brightly.

"Hello," she said, stepping closer. "I wanted to know if you had any Camembert in stock."

"Oh, yes," Gabriel said, dusting off his hands. "I just bought some this morning to make my Camembert Delight. How much would you like?"

"Just one piece," she said, taking out her wallet as Adrien ducked behind the counter to retrieve the cheese. "How much do I owe you?" she asked when Adrien returned and handed her a small box. Gabriel named his price; the girl handed over the required bills and thanked them. When she had disappeared out the door, Emilie turned to Adrien, eyebrows raised.

"Does she go to your school?" she asked. "She looks about your age, so I'm sure you would have at least one class with her."

Adrien shook his head. "I've never seen her before."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette set the box of cheese in her purse, allowing Plagg to have easy access. A moment later, the foul smell of Camembert filled the air, followed by the a rather loud smack as Plagg gobbled down his treat.

When she was only a few blocks from her house, she ducked into a nearby alley and transformed back into Chat Noire just long enough to climb back into her bedroom window and collapse on her bed. She whispered the words Plagg had instructed her to use in order to detransform moments before Nathalie rapped on the door.

"Marinette?"

"Yes?" Marinette called after stopping the music her phone had been playing on repeat while she was gone. The door swung open; Nathalie poked her head in.

"Oh, good. You're alright."

Marinette cocked her head. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"Did you not hear about the stone monster that attacked the school?"

Marinette widened her eyes, feigning shock. Nathalie merely sighed.

"And to think you tried to convince your poor mother to let you go there," she muttered as she shook her head and closed the door. Marinette gritted her teeth and collapsed back on her bed, groaning in frustration.

"Don't give up hope," Plagg said, hovering above her. "You're a superhero. You can do anything."

Adrien Agreste

The bakery was alight with love and laughter as the Agreste family bustled about the kitchen, making every sort of pastry you could imagine. Adrien had snuck three cookies in his pocket for Tikki to munch on when his parents' backs were turned. The small television balanced over the stove was playing the recorded version of Jagged Stone's last concert, and Emilie would grab Gabriel ever so often to dance with her.

The mood was darkened, however, when the television crackled. Adrien glanced up as the footage switched to the news, where Nadja Chamack was reporting on the sudden appearance of multiple stone beasts, the only difference from the last akuma being the fact that these monsters were "stone still."

Adrien rushed past his parents, who were clutching each other as they stared at the screen in terror, and up to his bedroom. He switched on the television and released Tikki from his shirt pocket.

"Tikki, what happened?" he exclaimed, motioning towards the television.

"Did you capture the akuma?" Tikki questioned, turning from the television to the wild-eyed Adrien

"Uhhhh..."

"If you don't capture the akuma, it will multiple and seek out people with negative emotions to akumatized."

Adrien sighed and dropped onto his desk chair, clutching his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"Don't worry, Adrien," Tikki said, nuzzling her holder reassuringly. "You can fix this."

"No, I can't," Adrien said, fidgeting with his Miraculous. "I just make everything worse. You should find someone else to save Paris."

"But, Adrien-" Tikki started, but Adrien pulled off his ring and stuffed it back in the box he had found it in before Tikki could finish.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tucking the box into his desk drawer.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Plagg turned on the computer, looking for something to occupy himself as Marinette moaned and groaned from her bed. However, before he could find a good channel, the news overrode the system, blocking the ability to skip through the various channels. Plagg turned to Marinette worriedly.

"Did you, uh, capture the akuma?"

"Did I what?" Marinette asked, sitting up. When her eyes landed on the news footage displayed on her computer, she froze.

"Well, only the Ladybug Miraculous can capture and purify akumas, so you wouldn't have been doing any of that work-"

"Wait, so that black and purple butterfly we released caused this?" she asked, interrupting Plagg. The Kwami nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid so."

"Will our two heroes be able to save us yet again?" the news announcer, Nadja Chamack, was saying. "Only time will tell."


	2. Chapter Two

**To anyone who read my first chapter before I edited it, I have changed Marinette's superheroine identity to "Chat Noire" because it was brought to my attention that "Chatte Noire" is a derogatory French slur. So, thank you @mysterygeeks for saving Marinette and me from further embarrassment. And thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed my story. Your support really means a lot to me.**

 **Updates will be two weeks apart, and I know** **that feels like forever. Trust me, I would love to update sooner, but I want to be sure I have more than enough time to write and edit my chapters before I post them.**

 **All of your lovely reviews will be answered at the end of the chapter, and if you ever have any questions, feel free to leave a review or PM me!**

 **Now, without further ado, here is chapter two!**

Chapter Two

Adrien Agreste

Chaos continued to reign in Paris, though, thankfully, there were no moving monsters crashing through buildings as they searched for the source of their anger. Instead, the streets and sidewalks of Paris were cluttered with immobile stone figures, causing whole sections of the city to be cut off from the rest of the world. Children were wandering around, looking for their parents; mothers were sobbing at the feet of their giant stone children. Adrien couldn't bear to see the mess, especially since he knew it was all his fault.

Despite only knowing the Kwami for a short amount of time, her absence caused the whole house to feel quieter, which didn't quite make sense because Tikki rarely spoke. But, then again, the sudden silence could just be an effect of the horror Gabriel and Emilie were feeling as they watched more and more stone figures appear.

"At this rate, the entire population will be made of stone in a matter of days," Nadja Chamack was saying, looking visibly worried. "Have our new heroes abandoned us so soon? Beetlebug and Chat Noire, if you're listening, please, we need your help."

Adrien slumped lower into the couch he had plopped into after shutting Tikki's box in his desk drawer. He couldn't bear to sit in the same room, knowing she was just out of reach, utterly disappointed in him. _She probably regrets getting paired with me,_ he thought bitterly.

"Adrien?" Emilie called from the kitchen, where she was putting away the last of the dishes. "What's wrong?"

"Do you ever feel like you can't do anything right?" he asked, his eyes trained on the wall.

"Everyone feels that way at least once in their life," Emilie said, moving closer and sitting down beside her son. "But, eventually, each person finds what they were made to do, and everything works out."

"But what if it doesn't work out?" Adrien asked, looking up at his mother, his eyes filled with tears. "What if Beetlebug doesn't save the day? What if this mess is all his fault, and he thinks Paris is better off without him?"

"Aww, sweetie, is that what you're worried about?" Emilie asked, brushing strands of hair out of Adrien's face. "Don't stress, honey. Beetlebug wouldn't desert us. Even if he did cause this mess, I'm sure he'll find a way to fix it. Besides, he doesn't have to do all the work himself. I'm sure Chat Noire is more than willing to help put Paris back in order."

Adrien pondered her words for a moment, then nodded and wiped a few stray tears from his cheeks. "You're right, Mom. Thanks." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and disappeared up the stairs.

"You better be grabbing your bag for school, Adrien!" Emilie shouted after him. "Paris may be falling into ruins, but that doesn't mean you can't get a good education!"

"Of course, Mom!" Adrien called back, laughing as he grabbed his schoolbag and slung it over his shoulder. After a brief hesitation, he rumbled through his desk drawers and stuffed Tikki's box in the side pocket of his backpack.

"Adrien, you're going to be late!" Gabriel shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" Adrien yelled back as he bolted out of his room. "Bye Mom! Bye Dad!' He wrapped both of his parents in a hug before dashing out the front door.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

 _Faster, faster. Come on, you're almost there._

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Get your butt back here! You know you're not allowed to go to school!"

 _Faster, faster, faster._

"Marinette! Stop!"

 _Almost there. Almost there._

"I mean it, Marinette!"

 _Just a little further…._

"Don't you dare-"

Marinette crashed through the doors, leaving Nathalie and her threats outside.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien was surprisingly early to school, so the students were still milling around the gym, waiting for the first bell to ring. Adrien slunk around the edge, attempting to avoid Sabrina as he made his way towards Nino.

"Dude, you'll never believe what happened yesterday," Nino said as soon as Adrien was within earshot. "Well, I mean, you've probably seen Beetlebug and Chat Noire on the news, but I saw them _in person,_ and, let me tell you, they were mega cool. Look, I even got it on camera." Nino tapped on his screen and pulled up the video he had shot last night. "I uploaded it on the Beetleblog yesterday, and it already has 100 views."

"The Beetleblog?" Adrien asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, yeah. I made that yesterday too. I'm gonna use it to broadcast every time Beetlebug swoops in and saves the day."

"Every time? You think he's gonna come back?"

"Of course he'll come back. He's a superhero. It's what they do."

"What if he doesn't?"

"He will," Nino said, matter of factly. "And, when he does, I'll be ready." He tapped the jacket pocket he had slipped his phone into.

Adrien glanced into his bag, imagining Tikki shut in the octonagal box, waiting for Adrien to change his mind.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

She had arrived early this time, so the whole student body was spread around the school, catching up with friends as they waited for classes to begin. Marinette scanned the area, looking for Chloé.

"Marikins!" Chloé called, causing Marinette to whip her head towards her friend's voice. "Over here!" The blonde was waving wildly from the other end of the gym. Marinette grinned, and the two girls raced towards each other, throwing their arms around the other and squeezing tightly.

"Did your mom let you come after all?" Chloé asked once the two girls had separated. Marinette shook her head, but she was cut off before she could even begin to tell Chloé what had happened.

"Chloé," a shrill voice cut through the air, causing the school to fall into silence. Marinette looked up, her gaze landing on the redhead waltzing through the crowd as if she owned the place. Marinette felt her anger rise, but only allowed it to show through the clenched fist in her pocket. She was used to dealing with people like this. People who did whatever they wanted without caring how anyone else felt. People who ruled with an iron fist.

People like her mother.

"Yes, Sabrina?" Chloé whimpered, sounding extremely pathetic.

 _Why is she letting this girl treat her like this?_ Marinette wondered as she watched the exchange. _The Chloé Bourgeois I know would never let this happen._

"You know you are to never leave my side. What if something had happened to me, and you weren't there to help?"

"I'd feel terrible," Chloé said. The line felt rehearsed, as if Chloé had been instructed to say those words in response to multiple situations. Marinette felt her anger increase from fist-clenching to teeth-gritting. She took a deep breath, attempting to regain control. She refused to give Sabrina the satisfaction of seeing any sign of irritation.

"Yes, you would," Sabrina said, not seeming to care how humiliating the situation was for Chloé. "Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend."

Adrien Agreste

Adrien and Nino had a clear view of the drama from their seat on one of the benches scattered around the gym. When Chloé had dashed across the room, squealing the whole way, she had grabbed the attention of every single person in the gym. But when Adrien saw who she was running towards, his attention had shifted.

"That's the girl who stopped by the bakery yesterday," he whispered to Nino, not daring to take his eyes off her in case it was all a dream.

"Dude, that's Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She models for her mom."

Adrien turned to his friend, confused.

"Please tell me you've heard of Sabine Dupain-Cheng."

Adrien widened his eyes. "You mean the word famous fashion designer?"

"The one and only."

Adrien opened his mouth to voice his disbelief, but Sabrina's hysterical shout caused him to snap his attention back towards Chloé and Marinette.

Sabrina marched across the gym, parting the crowd like the Red Sea. Chloé's demeanor instantly changed, and Adrien felt kinda bad for the blonde. She really wasn't treated any better than the rest of the school.

"You know you are to never leave my side. What if something had happened to me, and you weren't there to help?"

"I'd feel terrible," Chloé said, but the line felt too rehearsed to be genuine.

"Yes, you would. Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend."

Chloé murmured a brief introduction, motioning to each girl as she said their name. Sabrina stuck out her hand, a sickly sweet smile etched on her face as she spoke.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Chloé has told me so much about you."

Adrien expected Marinette to be seething with anger. He knew he would have slapped Sabrina sooner than he would have shook her hand, but the bluenette merely smiled a genuinely sweet smile and shook Sabrina's hand with the grace and elegance of a queen.

"The pleasure is mine, Sabrina."

Her tone wasn't at all mocking, and her expression never faltered, even when Sabrina looked taken aback for a moment. The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, but Adrien could only stare at Marinette in shock.

"Yes, well," Sabrina said, yanking away her hand and attempting to regain her composure, "Chloé and I would be more than happy to show you where our classes are. Right, Chlo?"

"Yes, Sabrina."

Then, Sabrina was gone, her slave and guest following behind.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Here, this seat was reserved just for you," Sabrina said, motioning to the front row. Marinette slid onto the bench and smiled at the girl beside her, but the girl merely huffed and turned the other way. Slightly hurt, Marinette turned back to Chloé, but Sabrina cut her off once again.

"Oh, Chlo, did you understand the homework from last night?"

The blonde shook her head.

"Chlo, you should have called me. I would have been more than happy to help," Marinette said softly.

"Oh, don't worry. Chloé never understands any of her schoolwork. You should expect as much from a dumb blonde, right Chlo? That's why she has me."

Marinette clenched her fist again. It was becoming harder and harder to maintain her calm around Sabrina.

"It's okay, Marinette," Chloé murmured softly. "Sabrina only speaks the truth, and the truth never hurts."

"No, Chlo-"

But Sabrina shut Marinette up once again by dropping her chewed piece of gum on the seat across the aisle.

"Little Baker Boy will enjoy that treat, won't he, Chlo?"

Chloé Bourgeois

Chloé should have been used to the embarrassment Sabrina caused her. She should have expected her friend to cause a scene. She saw, firsthand, the pleasure Sabrina received from humiliating students.

 _I guess I just hoped she'd be nicer when Marinette was here._

That, however, was the exact opposite of what had happened. The moment Marinette entered the building, Sabrina had only become meaner. Perhaps she felt threatened by the model, but she didn't dare pick on Sabine Dupain-Cheng's daughter. No, that would be social suicide. So, instead, Sabrina turned her jealousy into personal attacks on Chloé.

In front of anyone else, Chloé wouldn't have been as upset. But Marinette had never seen this pitiful side of Chloé before, and Chloé had never wanted her to witness this.

She tried her best to reassure Marinette, to let her friend know it was okay. She was used to being ridiculed. Marinette didn't need to risk her neck standing up for her. But Marinette didn't listen. The bluenette continued to challenge the redhead, and Sabrina only became angrier.

"Little Baker Boy will enjoy that treat, won't he, Chlo?" Sabrina asked after dropping her chewed bubblegum on the seat she had kicked Adrien to. The blonde nodded mutely, eyes fixed on the tabletop in front of her.

 _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

Those two words became her silent chant as she blinked back tears. She didn't dare look at Marinette. The pity in her friend's bluebell eyes was too much for her to bear.

"Sabrina, that's not nice," Marinette said; Chloé glanced up and watched, horrorstruck, as Marinette knelt beside the bench and began to scrub at the gum moments before Adrien entered the room.

"Sabrina," Chloé hissed, "Adrien's going to think Marinette did this!"

"That's the point, Chloé dear," Sabrina cooed, sitting back in her seat with a smirk. "Just hush and enjoy the show."

But Chloé wasn't going to sit back and watch her only true friend be blamed for Sabrina's crime. So, before Adrien could even say a word, Chloé jumped out of her seat and exclaimed, "It's not her fault!"

The whole class turned to stare at her, including Sabrina, but Chloé kept her gaze fixed on Adrien.

"Marinette didn't stick that gum to your seat. Sabrina did."

"Chloé," Sabrina hissed angrily, "what are you doing?"

"She was trying to clean it up before you got here."

"If you don't sit down and shut up-" Sabrina began, her face red with rage, but Chloé ignored the redhead and, instead, walked around the table to kneel beside Marinette.

"Here, let me help you."

Marinette threw her arms around Chloé. "You're the best friend I could have ever asked for," she whispered.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien had been too distracted by Nino's thrilling recollection of the Parc des Princes battle (as he attempted to discreetly stow his Miraculous in Nino's bag) to notice the bluenette kneeling beside his seat until he had almost tripped over her. When he saw the gum she seemed to be smoothing onto his seat (for maximum stickiness, he assumed), he was completely shocked. How could someone as nice as Marinette be corrupted almost instantly by Queen Sabrina? There was only one explanation for that: Marinette wasn't as nice as she appeared after all.

He opened his mouth, intending to shout some cliché line like "How could you?" or "I thought you were better than this," but Chloé cut him off.

"It's not her fault!"

Adrien turned to the blonde, surprised. Chloé rarely stood up to Sabrina, mostly because the redheaded monster was the only reason she wasn't failing all her classes.

"Marinette didn't stick that gum to your seat. Sabrina did. She was trying to clean it up before you got here."

And then, as if speaking up against Sabrina's tyranny wasn't brave enough, Chloé walked around the tables and began to help Marinette clean up the gum, not seeming to care that Sabrina's face was as red as her hair.

"I'm assuming this doesn't happen very often," Nino whispered, taking in the shocked faces of his classmates. Adrien shook his head, too baffled to speak.

 _Maybe there's hope of overthrowing Sabrina after all._

Alya Césaire

Alya had been skeptical of the new arrival to their class. She had thought the bluenette was going to be just as bad as Chloé: good at heart, but instantly corrupted by Queen Sabrina. What was the point of becoming friends with someone like that, knowing they'd, ultimately, just become another servant of Sabrina?

Her perspective changed, however, when Chloé defied Sabrina to stand up for Marinette.

The blonde girl had watched countless students being ridiculed and bullied by Sabrina, yet she had always just stood to the side, acting as if everything was fine. She was just an innocent bystander, merely watching as people were torn apart by the redheaded demon.

But, instead of allowing Marinette to be blamed for Sabrina's actions, Chloé had jumped to the chance of defending her.

When the bluenette sat back down beside Alya after throwing Sabrina's gum in the trash where it belonged, Alya turned and introduced herself.

"Hey, I'm Alya Césaire."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Look, I'm sorry for turning my back to you earlier. I just thought you'd end up as another one of Sabrina's minions, and I didn't think there was any point in associating myself with someone like that. Not that I'd never be friends with Chloé, of course. She seems nice and all, but-"

"Hey, it's fine," Marinette interrupted, placing her hand gently on Alya's arm. "I'd do the same thing if I was you."

Alya let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She would have loved to continue talking to Marinette, but Miss Bustier had entered the room, and even Sabrina knew to shut her mouth the moment Miss Bustier stepped foot in the classroom.

Adrien Agreste

Miss Bustier noticed Marinette almost immediately and welcomed the new student warmly before beginning their lesson. Adrien tried to pay attention, but his gaze kept shifting to Marinette. The whole room felt brighter now that she was here, and she had managed to bring out a side of Chloé he had never seen before. Even now, she was sitting with the regalness of a queen despite Sabrina's intense glare.

"Yo, dude, snap out of it," Nino hissed, waving his hand in front of Adrien's face. "You're like completely zoned out."

"I am not," Adrien whispered back, snapping his gaze away from Marinette.

"Yeah, whatever," Nino retorted, his tone teasing. "I guess you'd rather daydream about Miss Fashionista than listen to Miss Bustier's lesson."

"Oh, shut up."

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?' Miss Bustier asked. Adrien looked up and shook his head, his face burning.

"No ma'am," Nino said, smirking at Adrien when Miss Bustier turned back to the board. "Dude, you're redder than a tomato."

"Just shut up," Adrien hissed, resting his chin on his arms as he attempted to keep his mind fixed on the lesson, but his gaze was drawn to the door when a loud crash sounded in the hallway, followed by a million roars. Students began rushing to the window; Nino pulled out his camera. A loud bang resounded through the classroom as the door was kicked in. Stone Monster Ivan shoved through the desks and captured Mylène in one fist and Sabrina in the other. Then, with a fierce yell, he jumped through the wall and onto the street, where the hundreds of once-motionless stone beasts had begun to move.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette had managed to slip into the hall moments after the stone beast had burst in. She dashed down the hall and ducked into a nearby storage closet before releasing Plagg from her purse.

"Aw, my cat nap is over already?" the Kwami yawned.

"I'm afraid so," Marinette said, not sounding at all sorry. "Ready to transform?"

"I guess."

"Good." She tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing one of her black earrings. "Plagg, claws out!'

Moments later, Chat Noire was bounding down the hall to the classroom Marinette had dashed out of only a couple minutes ago. In that short amount of time, chaos had broken out, and half of the class was missing. Chloé was cowering in the corner. Nino could be seen through the broken window, dashing down the street as he attempted to get best view of the monster carrying Sabrina and Mylène down the streets of Paris. Adrien was standing in the middle of the room, holding Nino's bag in one hand and looking generally lost. Miss Bustier was trying to maintain control, and failing miserably. When she saw the black-clad heroine, her worried creases lightened ever so slightly.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said, dashing over to the black-clad hero. "He abducted two of my students, and left my classroom in ruins!"

"Don't worry, ma'am," Marinette replied, resting a reassuring hand on Miss Bustier's arm. "Beetlebug and I will get this under control in no time."

Adrien Agreste

Chat Noire had arrived at the scene much faster than Adrien had anticipated, and she seemed 100% sure that Beetlebug was coming to help save the day.

 _But I'm the reason we're in this mess._

After reassuring Miss Bustier that everything was going to be okay, Chat Noire leapt out the window, her staff spinning above her head like the blades of a helicopter. She hit the pavement in a roll, popping onto her feet a moment later, and raced towards stone beast they had defeated once before. Nino followed her with his camera, too focused on getting good footage to notice the car flying towards him.

"Watch out!" Adrien screamed, but he was too late. The car landed on Nino with a sickening crunch.

Nino Lahiffe

 _This is exclusive footage,_ Nino though giddily as he raced after the stone monster, _which means more views._

He had to focus extremely hard in order to keep the camera from shaking as he ran. Chat Noire, who was running ahead of him, leapt into the air. Nino stopped running in order to expertly follow the superheroine's movements with his camera.

"Watch out!" someone shouted, their voice echoing down the street. Nino looked up from his phone as a huge car barrelled towards him. He dropped to the ground and curled into a fetal position, his phone clutched in both hands, praying he wouldn't be crushed.

Miraculously, the car's roof was severely dented, which was really the only reason Nino was even still alive. His only problem now was the fact that he was trapped, and he doubted anyone had seen the car land on him. Beetlebug and Chat Noire were most likely too preoccupied by the stone monsters to bother helping him out.

 _Well, I guess I'm gonna have to wait a while._

Adrien Agreste

 _No, no, no. This can't be happening,_ Adrien thought, raking his hands through his hair. He dropped Nino's bag and began to pace, his gaze continually flicking back to the car Nino had disappeared under.

He could save Nino. He knew he could. All he had to do was….

Adrien took a deep breath and reached into Nino's bag. His fingers brushed the lid of Tikki's box, and, for a split second, he could feel the magic pulsing in it.

 _I know better now,_ he thought, lifting the box out of Nino's bag. _This time, I'll stop the akuma once and for all._

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Watch out!"

Marinette turned towards the sound, breaking her focus. Nino was standing in the middle of the road, his camera trained on her, and one of the vehicles the akumatized monster had been kicking up was sailing towards him. But she was knocked aside by the stone monster's arm before she could even begin to react.

She hit the side of the building with a smack, and darkness flooded her vision as she collapsed onto the ground. She fought against it, knowing she would never forgive herself if she fell unconscious and missed the battle. She dragged herself forward until she had reached the spot she had last seen Nino. When she lifted her head, she was delighted to see her blonde partner already there, his forehead gleaming with perspiration as he attempted to roll the car back onto its wheels.

"Need some help?" Marinette asked, pushing herself up onto her feet and nearly collapsing back onto her face when a wave of dizziness rolled over her.

"Seems to me you're the one in need of help," Beetlebug said, pausing a moment to smirk at his partner. "What happened?"

"I was just tossed aside like a rag doll,' Marinette said, subconsciously admiring Beetlebug's muscles as he continued lifting the car. "No big deal."

Beetlebug shoved the car one last time, and the vehicle rolled over with a screech of metal against metal. Nino hopped up, his camera already fixed on Beetlebug's face.

"You alright?" Beetlebug asked, his eyes scanning the boy for any injuries.

"Yeah, dude, I'm all good, thanks to you." Nino beamed up at the superheroes.

"We're just doing our job," Marinette said, her headache finally wearing off. Perhaps Plagg did more than just give her an amazing suit and even more amazing powers. Maybe he also helped her heal faster, which explained why she hadn't had a concussion after their last battle.

Beetlebug was studying her, and she assumed he was trying to understand how she had recovered so quickly. There was a moment of semi-awkward silence, in which Marinette and Beetlebug merely stared at one another, then a ferocious roar echoed through the city, causing the two heroes to snap their attention back to the problem at hand: the akuma.

"We better go deal with that," Marinette said. Beetlebug nodded, unclipping the yo-yo on his hip.

"Stay safe," he told Nino before throwing his yo-yo at a nearby building and swinging away.

Adrien Agreste

The stone monster had clambered to the top of the Eiffel Tower, waving the fist Sabrina was clenched in angrily above his head. With a fierce yell, he tossed her off the tower, watching gleefully as she plummeted towards the concrete.

Adrien froze, watching as the girl who had terrorized him for most of his life flew through the air, eyes wide in fear as the ground loomed closer and closer. For a split second, Adrien considered letting her die. Wouldn't school be much more pleasant with Sabrina gone? Students would no longer need to watch their every move, trying to keep themselves out of the limelight for fear Sabrina would attack.

But then Adrien remembered when Sabrina's dad, Lieutenant Roger, had come in for career day. Sabrina had been genuinely happy, laughing at every joke her dad cracked and smiling the whole time. Roger had gazed at her with so much love and adoration, much like Adrien's parents gazed at him. He knew Roger would be completely heartbroken if his daughter was killed in an akuma attack, and he imagined the hatred Roger would feel towards Beetlebug and Chat Noire when he learned they hadn't even tried to save Sabrina. _"They're not true heroes,"_ Roger would say. _"They let my daughter die."_

 _I have to save her,_ he decided, _whether I want to or not._ But by the time he had focused back on the battle, there was no choice left for him to make because Chat Noire had already saved Sabrina.

 _Thank goodness for partners._

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette landed in front of the Eiffel Tower, her staff clutched in her hands as she prepared herself for whatever obstacle the stone monster threw at her.

But she hadn't expected that to be taken literally.

"My daughter!" one of the cops screamed, lowering his gun and dashing forward in an attempt to catch Sabrina, who had been chucked into the air by the very angry akuma. Marinette dashed forward, leapt into the air, caught Sabrina around the waist, and expertly landed in a crouch. "Whoa," she breathed as she set Sabrina on her feet, leaving her arm wrapped around the redhead's waist to keep her from falling over. She hadn't even known she was able to do that, but her body had acted all on its own. She had never been more thankful for her dance lessons cause there was no way she'd have been flexible enough to do that had her mother not thrusted her into ballet as soon as she was able to walk.

Marinette shook away her thoughts and focused on the trembling redhead, who was just regaining her footing.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I think so."

"Oh, Sabrina!" the cop who had tried to catch her earlier sobbed as he made his way over to Marinette.

"Daddy," Sabrina whimpered, rushing into her father's arms.

"Thank you, Chat Noire, for saving my daughter's life."

Marinette smiled warmly and backed away to give them space. Beetlebug landed beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Nice catch."

Marinette turned to him, still smiling despite her heated cheeks. "It was nothing."

Before Beetlebug could say anything else, a high-pitched scream cut through the air, causing the two heroes to whip their heads towards the Eiffel Tower, where the stone beast was beginning to tumble towards the ground.

As the monster was falling, hundreds of akumas had begun to form the magnified head of a woman. The woman had caramel eyes, surrounded by a lavender mask. Her face was framed by a black bob, complete with a moth-shaped hair-clip, and her lips were upturned in a smirk. The combined flapping of the akuma's wings formed her booming voice.

"Beetlebug, Chat Noire, how nice of you to finally show up," the woman sneered. "For a moment, I feared you were going to abandon Paris, and where's the fun in that?"

"What do you want?" Beetlebug shouted, his yo-yo spinning at his side.

"What do I want?" the woman repeated. "Why, you aren't even going to ask my name first?"

Beetlebug glowered at the face, his yo-yo spinning faster.

"Well, I guess since I know your names, it's only polite I tell you mine." She paused for a brief moment before continuing. "I am Hawkmoth, and, as for what I want, it's simple, really. All I desire is…" She paused again, obviously enjoying every moment of their exchange, "...your Miraculouses."

"Sorry to disappoint," Beetlebug said through gritted teeth, "but heroes don't become villains that easily." In one swift movement, he threw his yo-yo at Hawkmoth's face, scattering the butterflies. The voice disappeared.

The yo-yo had barely reached his side when he threw it out again, capturing the akumas in his now open yo-yo and releasing their purified counterparts back into the air a few moments later.

"He makes it look easy," Marinette murmured.

Adrien Agreste

With the butterflies no longer a threat, Adrien turned his attention back to the stone monster, which had awoken the moment Hawkmoth's head disappeared. The beast grabbed onto the Eiffel Tower, pulling himself back up and letting out a battle cry. The stone figures milling around the city turned and began lumbering towards the heroes, surrounding them.

"We can't defeat them all," Chat Noire said, jumping back to avoid being squashed when one of the monsters stomped forward.

"Maybe we don't have to," Adrien murmured.

"What does that mean?" his partner asked, but Adrien had already slipped between the stone army's legs and was dashing towards the Eiffel Tower. He used his yo-yo to pull himself up the side of the tower and grabbed onto one of the beams. He wrapped his yo-yo around the hand Mylène was grasped in and pulled, bringing the girl closer and closer to Ivan's face until their lips met. Surprised, Ivan dropped Mylène and another purple rock, which hit the ground and released another purple and black butterfly.

"Chat Noire!" Adrien shouted, catching his partner's eye and nodding towards Mylène. She dashed forward, understanding immediately, while Adrien focused his attention on the released akuma.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Gotcha," Marinette said when the stone beast's second hostage landed in her arms. She set the girl on her feet, checking briefly for injuries as soon as Mylène had regained her footing.

"Thank you, Chat Noire," the girl said, throwing her arms around the heroine. Marinette smiled and returned the embrace.

Moments after the two girls separated, Beetlebug and the once akumatized boy landed beside them, the red and black spotted parachute they had used to slow their descent, most likely the effect of Beetlebug's Lucky Charm, draping on the floor behind them.

"Hey, Mylène," Beetlebug said softly, crouching beside the rescued girl and holding out the crumpled piece of paper Ivan had been clutching in his hand before he had been akumatized, "you should read the song Ivan wrote for you."

Mylène took the crumpled paper from Beetlebug's hand and smoothed it out.

"Oh," she said once she had finished reading. "Oh, Ivan, it's beautiful! Thank you." She wrapped her arms around Ivan, who was blushing quite fiercely.

Beetlebug steered Marinette away from the couple with one hand on her arm, which sent butterflies swarming in her stomach.

"Nice work today, Chat," Beetlebug said, dropping his hand from Marinette's arm as soon as they were quite a ways away from Ivan and Mylène.

"Thanks, but we owe it today's success to your quick thinking."

"Which would've been pointless had you not reacted as fast as you did."

Marinette felt herself blush again, but, thankfully, Beetlebug was too busy tossing his Lucky Charm item into the air and watching the black and red clean-up crew put the city back in order to notice his partner's red cheeks.

"Well, I better go before I change back," Beetlebug said when his ring began to beep a moment later. "See you next time, Chat!"

"I can't wait," Marinette murmured as she watched Beetlebug disappear behind the buildings. And it was true. She really could not wait to see her red and black spotted partner again.

Adrien Agreste

"I can't believe I missed the whole fight," Nino groaned, rewatching the footage he had managed to catch on his phone. "After they saved me from the car, they bolted towards the Eiffel Tower, but by the time I got there, the battle was over, and the heroes were gone."

"I'm sure you'll have another chance. This Hawkmoth lady doesn't seem to be the kind to give up that easily," Adrien said, reassuringly.

When they reached Miss Bustier's classroom, Adrien started towards his front row seat, but, at the last minute, changed his mind and sat down in his old seat, motioning for Nino to sit beside him.

Sabrina entered the classroom moments later, chatting animatedly with Chloé, but the blonde girl didn't seem to be listening at all. When Sabrina's gaze landed on Adrien, she froze, as if not believing her eyes.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, Baker Boy?" she demanded a moment later, stalking over to Adrien.

"Sitting in my seat," Adrien retorted, shocked by how calm he sounded despite his racing heart.

"You must be confused," Sabrina said, placing her hand in the top of Adrien's desk, "because I distinctly remember this being _my_ seat."

"No, Sabrina, this was my seat, and you kicked me out, but I'm done letting you push me around. So why don't you take yourself and your attitude to the front row."

Sabrina's glare intensified. "How dare you-"

"Sabrina, come on, let's just sit in the front row," Chloé interrupted, attempting to drag her friend away. "You don't care about sitting behind Marinette anyway."

There was a long pause; the whole class held their breath, waiting for Sabrina's response.

"Fine," the redhead huffed, allowing Chloé to lead her to the vacant seats.

"I have a feeling we're going to pay for that," Nino whispered as Sabrina plopped into her new seat, arms folded like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Marinette, I'm extremely disappointed in you. You know you shouldn't have run off to school without my permission."

"Yes, Mother," Marinette said, gazing longingly out the car window.

"But I really do love you, and I want you to be happy, so…"

Marinette turned her attention back to the tablet, where her mother was speaking through a video chat.

"...you may attend school."

"Really?" Marinette asked, hardly believing her ears.

"Yes, really. Now run along before you're late."

Marinette grinned and hopped out of the car, dashing up the stairs and into Miss Bustier's classroom as quickly as her legs allowed. She slid into the seat beside Alya, still grinning wildly.

"Well aren't you happy today," Alya said, laughing softly.

"Isn't everyone?" Marinette retorted. "Beetlebug saved the city once again!"

"Don't forget about Chat Noire," a voice added; Marinette turned and came face to face with Adrien, who smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation," he said, his cheeks tinted pink. "I'm Adrien. Adrien Agreste."

"And I'm Nino," the boy beside him said, jumping into the conversation.

Their conversation was interrupted when Miss Bustier entered the room, causing the class to fall silent.

The school day passed extremely fast, and, all too soon, it was time for Marinette to return home.

"Bye, Marinette! See you tomorrow!" Alya called, waving to her friend before slipping out into the rain.

"See you tomorrow!" Marinette echoed before closing her locker and following the last of the students out the door.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien was standing under the school's awning, waiting for the rain to let up enough for him to dash down the street to the bakery. But the rain didn't seem to be lessening anytime soon, keeping him captive on the school steps.

"Adrien?" a soft voice called. The blonde boy whipped around and came face to face with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Do you need an umbrella?" she asked, moving closer until they were both under her black umbrella.

"I was just going to wait until the rain lessened a bit," he said, finding himself enraptured by her bright blue eyes.

Marinette shook her head. "Here, take mine." She extended her hand, intending for him to take the umbrella.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine, really."

"No, I insist. You have much further to walk than I do."

Adrien hesitantly reached out and closed his hand around the handle, switching the umbrella from her hand to his.

"Well, then, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, stepping out from under the umbrella's cover.

"Y-yeah, s-see you tomorrow." He watched as she turned and skipped down the stairs to the black limo waiting on the curb, then shook his head and began the short walk to the bakery. Tikki flew out of his shirt pocket and perched on Adrien's shoulder, hidden from view behind his shirt collar.

"Oh, Adrien, you're almost as red as me!" she teased, nuzzling her cheek against his.

"Oh, shush, Tikki," he said, laughing softly alongside the Kwami, who had disappeared back into his shirt pocket as they reached the bakery's front door.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"The first day of school, and we already have two lovebirds," Plagg said, popping his head out of Marinette's black purse.

"Whatever, Plagg. He's just a friend." She paused for a moment, glancing back at the blonde boy walking down the street, holding her umbrella above his head.

"Marinette! Get in here before you catch a cold!" Nathalie called from the car. Plagg ducked back into the purse as Marinette turned and ran the remaining few steps to the car.

 **Review Responses:**

 **@RedLanternBatman, yes, Lila is going to be in this story, though I don't know how long it'll take to get to the point where she comes in.**

 **@GuardianAngel1234567, don't worry, I'm not planning on giving up on this anytime soon!**

 **@mysterygeek, I mentioned this earlier, but thank you again for pointing out my mistake.**

 **And thank you to anyone else who posted a review! Your support and encouragement means so much to me.**

 **The next chapter will be posted sometime between now and February 2, so stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter Three

**It's Swapped Saturday!!**

 **But before we get back to the story, I just want to thank everyone again for their love and support. Your favorites, follows, and reviews always make my day. (And, for everyone who left a review, responses are posted at the end of the chapter)**

 **Anyways, here's chapter three!! Enjoy!!**

Chapter Three

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Nearly a week had passed, and there had been no more akuma attacks. She didn't mind the quietness from Hawkmoth and the lack of crime in Paris, but she desperately wanted to see her stunningly handsome partner.

"Marinette," Plagg groaned from his spot on her desk, "please don't tell me you're watching more Beetleblog footage."

"I just like seeing how we can improve our fighting," Marinette said as she typed the first few letters of Nino's blog. She had accessed the website so many times, the url popped up in no time.

"Are you sure it's not because you wanna drool over Beetlebug?" Plagg teased, popping another piece of Camembert in his mouth. Marinette ignored her Kwami and focused on the footage projected on her screen. Plagg rolled his eyes and floated towards the mini-fridge Marinette kept in the corner of her room, in search of more cheese. Before he could reach his destination, Nathalie rapped on the door, startling both Kwami and holder.

"Marinette! You're going to be late for school!"

"Oh my gosh, I almost forgot," Marinette muttered to herself as she shut down her computer. "Coming, Nathalie!" She grabbed her purse, leaving it open for Plagg to dash inside, slung her bag over her right shoulder, and raced out to the waiting car. Nathalie handed her a buttered croissant to eat on the way to school as Wang pulled away from the curb.

Adrien Agreste 

Adrien couldn't deny his feelings for the bluenette any longer, and his somewhat obsession with the girl showed through the various pictures he had printed of her and pasted on his wall. In the corner of his room, the black umbrella she had given him on her first day rested against the wall.

"You should talk to her," Tikki said, watching her holder pin another photo of his crush on the tack board above his bed. The blonde boy turned around, pausing his actions to stare at the Kwami in disbelief.

"How do you expect me to talk to her when I can hardly _breathe_ around her?"

Tikki sighed and began to munch on another cookie from the plate Adrien had placed on his desk. Her holder had turned back to his task, and stepped back when he had finished.

"Perfect."

"Adrien! You better be ready for school!" Emilie called from the bottom of the stairs.

"I am!" Adrien yelled back, waiting for Tikki to nestle into his shirt pocket before grabbing his backpack and skipping into the kitchen.

"You're in a good mood today," Emilie teased, handing her son his breakfast in the usual brown paper bag.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Adrien said before kissing his mother's cheek and dashing out the front door. Gabriel and Emilie exchanged confused glances, then shrugged off their son's strange behavior and returned to their baking.

"There's no need to run, Adrien," Tikki giggled from Adrien's pocket. "You're much earlier than usual, and Marinette doesn't usually arrive until later."

Adrien scowled at his Kwami and slowed to a walk; Tikki merely giggled at him again and ducked back into his pocket.

The blonde boy had only just stepped into the school when he was dragged away by a frantic Nino.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Adrien asked.

"I remembered you saying you love photography, and it's blatantly obvious how much you like Marinette, so when I saw this, I knew I had to show you."

"What are you talking about?"

Nino stopped dragging Adrien and pointed to one of the posters tacked onto the Board of Announcements the teachers and principal used to display various events students were encouraged to participate in. The poster Nino was pointing to happened to be a photography competition, and the winner got to spend a whole _month_ following Marinette to each of her photoshoots and learning from the photographers.

"This can't be real," Adrien murmured, unable to believe his eyes. A whole month spending time with Marinette and learning about photography? He had to be dreaming.

"It's definitely real," Nino said, bumping his friend's shoulder and grinning widely. "And I have complete faith you'll win."

Adrien mentally shook himself out of his daze and turned his attention to the requirements.

"I dunno. The theme is Paris, but everything that makes Paris special has been photographed thousands of times by thousands of tourists. How am I going to find something so amazing and unique that describes our city?"

"Don't ask me. I'm a reporter, not a photographer, but whatever you do is gonna be great."

Adrien wished he was as confident as Nino.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The moment Marinette stepped into the school, she was overrun by a hundred questions, all relating to the contest her mother had fashioned. Marinette tried her best to ignore the students, giving them a smile rather than an answer, but the more desperate students had begun to pull on her.

"Will the winner receive money?" one guy asked, grinning crazily. "I know you and your mom have more than enough to share."

"Uh, I don't-" Marinette started, but she was grabbed by another student before she could properly answer.

"Do you have any tips for photographers?" a girl asked, grinning sweetly.

"I'm not really into that kind of stuff, so I wouldn't-"

"Okay, okay, break it up people. Give the girl some room." Alya stepped into the crowd, forcibly parting the students until she was able to drag Marinette away.

"What was that all about?" Alya asked once they were clear of the crowd.

"My mom and the school collaborated to make a photography contest," Marinette began, but she was unable to continue because Alya had tripped into Nino's lap, her grip on Marinette's wrist slipping and causing the bluenette to fly into Adrien, knocking both of them to the ground.

They stayed on the ground for a moment: Marinette's head resting on Adrien's chest; his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.

Then the initial shock wore off.

Marinette pushed herself up and smiled sheepishly at Adrien. She intended to roll off of him and stand up, but her body refused to move. Instead, she continued to stare, transfixed by his eyes.

He reminded her of someone. Someone who made her heart skip a beat, and her stomach feel as though it housed a swarm of butterflies.

But the moment was broken by Sabrina's shrill voice before she could remember where she had seen eyes as green as Adrien's.

"Oh, Marinette! Are you alright?"

Marinette pushed herself onto her feet. "Yes, I'm fine. Really, Adrien is the one you should be checking on cause-"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sabrina asked, cutting Marinette off.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Marinette asked, cocking her head at the redhead.

"Obviously no one would _choose_ to fall on Baker Boy, so I just assumed he had dragged you down."

Marinette blanched at the redhead. Did she really have the audacity to say something like that _in front of Adrien himself!_?

"Well, I wouldn't choose to fall on anyone, but if I had to, Adrien would be one of my top picks," Marinette said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Alya Césaire

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Alya slid off of Nino's lap, extremely grateful for her dark skin. She knew with absolute certainty that if she was as pale as Marinette, she'd be redder than a tomato right now. Of course, she wasn't blushing because she _liked_ Nino. No, she was merely blushing because she had fallen into a guy's lap. _Anyone_ would be red after something as embarrassing as that.

She shook away her swirling thoughts, determined to not make a bigger fool of herself. When she turned her attention back to Nino, she found the boy filming Adrien and Marinette, who seemed to be frozen in place as they stared at each other.

Alya opened her mouth to ask Nino what he was doing, but Sabrina's shrill (and clearly fake) concerned voice cut her off.

"Oh, Marinette! Are you alright?"

Alya turned away from Nino in time to watch Marinette gracefully rise from the ground.

"Yes, I'm fine. Really, Adrien is the one you should be checking on cause-"

But Sabrina merely cut Marinette off, and Alya had to clench her fists to keep from getting involved.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Obviously no one would _choose_ to fall on Baker Boy, so I just assumed he had dragged you down."

"Well, I wouldn't _choose_ to fall on anyone, but if I had to, Adrien would be one of my top picks."

Alya has to suppress her laughter as she watched both Adrien and Sabrina's faces burn red.

"Well, if you don't need my help, I'll go find someone who does," Sabrina spat, twirling on her heel. "Come along, Chlo. We aren't wanted here."

Chloé began to trudge away, but Marinette grabbed the blonde girl's arm, stopping her in her tracks. Alya leaned closer, trying to hear what the two girls were saying, but they were too far away and spoke too quietly for her to pick up more than a few words. After struggling for a moment longer, Alya gave up and turned her attention to Nino, who was now watching the video he had just taken.

"What's that for?" Alya asked, pointing to the video.

"Two reasons," NIno said without even looking up from his phone. "One, to embarrass him" - Nino motioned towards Adrien - "and, two, to relish Sabrina's defeat."

Alya raised her eyebrows, opening her mouth to ask another question, but Marinette appeared, smiling widely, before Alya could even get a word out.

"You guys wouldn't mind if Chlo hung out with us, right?"

Alya and Nino didn't hesitate. Both were nodding their heads in agreement the moment the words were out of Marinette's mouth.

"Of course we wouldn't mind," Alya said, smiling warmly at Marinette and the blonde girl standing awkwardly behind her.

"Yeah, we're all for that," Nino said, still nodding.

And then everyone's attention turned to Adrien, who had finally gotten off the floor, waiting for his response.

Adrien Agreste

Marinette was staring at him, and Adrien couldn't remember why. His brain had short-circuited when she had fallen on him, and he had stil hadn't managed to make it work again.

 _Why is everyone staring at me?_

And then it all came crashing back. Sabrina insulting him, Marinette standing up for him, Sabrina stalking away, Chloé…

 _Oh, Chloé!_

That's what Marinette was asking! If he was okay with Chloé tagging along.

And, of course, there was no way he could say no.

"Y-yeah, that's fine with me," he managed to stammer out, his face burning with embarrassment for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. He could see Nino smirking behind Marinette and shot his friend a scowl when the bluenette turned her back.

"Perfect!" Marinette said, grinning at Chloé. "Welcome to the gang, Chlo!"

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

She didn't know why she had said that. Sure, she hung out with Nino and Adrien quite a bit, but none of them had ever voiced the fact that they were a group. Maybe it was just some sort of unspoken agreement people came to, but Marinette had no idea how these things worked. For nearly 15 years of her life, she had been locked away with only Chloé to talk to.

Now she worried she'd lose everyone she cared about with those six words, but her fears were chased away a moment later when all three of her friends repeated her statement, wide smiles on their faces.

Sabrina Raincomprix

 _I can't believe Chloé ditched me for those losers!_ Sabrina raged, kicking her feet angrily against the bench she was seated on. _I'm so much better than them! Why didn't she choose me over them!?_

Her feet began thumping harder on the bench until it was quivering under her. She could hear the teachers whispering among themselves, watching her slowly destroy school equipment, but she didn't care. Her feet began pumping faster, banging harder on the bench.

"Er, Sabrina," a voice called, interrupting Sabrina's tantrum. The redhead looked up, coming face to face with Miss Bustier. Upon seeing the teacher, Sabrina's steely glare softened.

"Sabrina, dear," Miss Bustier said, "I understand you're upset, but there's no need to have the bench feel your pain."

Sabrina found herself giggling softly at Miss Bustier's comment, and nodding apologetically when the teacher continued on, saying that Sabrina could come talk to her rather than taking her anger out on school equipment. Then, Miss Bustier stood back up and started towards her room, Sabrina following behind.

Chloé Bourgeois

Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino had turned towards the ruckus, curious as to what was causing the strange banging. Chloé, however, did not need to turn her head to know the noise belonged to Sabrina. It wasn't the first time Sabrina had thrown a tantrum because she hadn't gotten her way. Most times, Chloé had been the cause of the scene, and so the role of quieting the redhead also rested on her. This time, however, she merely averted her gaze, not wanting to see her friend making a fool of herself.

Marinette has asked Chloé a few days ago why she was even friends with Sabrina, and Chloé had tried to explain that, years ago, Sabrina had been nice. In fact, once upon a time, when Chloé had been the new girl in grade one, Sabrina had been the only person to welcome her.

Then, in grade seven, everything changed.

It started off small, with a penny here, a hairclip there. Chloé had been able to ignore her friend's behavior, and, when the teacher became suspicious, Chloé covered for Sabrina. Miss McCree would ask if Chloé had seen Sabrina take anything from Rose, and Chloé would shake her head solemnly and lie, saying she had seen Rose drop the stolen item on the playground.

As the years went on, Sabrina's behavior only worsened until, rather than just stealing a small item every now and then, Sabrina was forcing their classmates to give up portions of their lunch, and, if they dared refuse, she'd "convince" them using blackmail or poking at various insecurities.

Still, Chloé covered for Sabrina, often getting herself in trouble as well.

She thought about leaving Sabrina and finding new friends. In fact, the very idea crossed her mind more than a few times, but each time she considered it, she instantly threw the thought away. How could she ditch Sabrina now, after all these years? And the longer she waited, the more her fellow classmates began to hate her. If she chose to leave Sabrina's side and throw away their friendship, she'd have been completely friendless and most likely bullied by Sabrina even more.

But everything changed when Marinette began attending school. Now, escaping from Sabrina's clutches seemed possible.

And Chloé had just made the first step towards freedom by staying with Marinette.

It had been a difficult decision, especially when Chloé saw Sabrina's reaction, but Marinette's encouragement made it easier, and the smile on her friend's face made every fearful moment worth it.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien was surprised by how much fun he actually had with Chloé. The blonde girl had sat with them at lunch, and Adrien found himself laughing at nearly everything she did. If he hadn't already been so infatuated with Marinette, he might have even developed a small crush on Chloé.

It wasn't until he had arrived home and received a text from Nino that he remembered why he had been stressing that morning.

But, after spending the entire day with Marinette, Adrien wanted to win that competition even more than he had before, so he set out to scour the streets for inspiration.

He found himself seated on the steps, fiddling with his camera as he watched a man sprinkle birdseed along the ground and the brim of his hat. The man cooed happily towards the sky, spreading his arms and displaying more birdseed piled in the palms of his hand. The pigeons swooped down and began pecking at the birdseed, bobbing along at his feet or perching on the bench. The man twittered happily with the pigeons, and Adrien found himself absentmindedly snapping a couple pictures of the birds.

"Hey!" someone shouted, causing both Adrien and the birdman to jump. Adrien whipped his head towards the sound and saw the man who had spoken was Roger Raincomprix, Sabrina's father.

The cop waved his arms, shooing away the pigeons and ignoring the birdman's protests.

"You can't feed them," Roger said, turning his attention to the birdman when the pigeons had mostly disappeared. "I don't want them scattering their droppings on the tourists here."

The birdman frowned. "But-"

"No buts. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but I better not catch you feeding them again." Roger stormed away, leaving the dejected birdman without his birds.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Her mother wasn't a dinner that night. She should have expected this, but even knowing her mother was most likely going to be too busy for dinner didn't keep her heart from sinking. She ate the last few bites of her dinner and retreated to her room, fighting tears. Plagg was gnawing on a piece of Camembert when she entered. As if sensing his holder's unhappiness, he popped the cheese in his mouth and flew over to perch on her shoulder.

"Cheer up, Mari," he said, patting her cheek comfortingly. "Why don't we watch a movie to take your mind off it."

Mari smiled sadly. "I'd like that."

But their plans were interrupted as soon as she turned on the television. Nadja Chamack was commenting on live footage from Notre Dame, where a giant flock of pigeons had begun to wreak havoc.

"The pigeons appear to be controlled by a man who calls himself Mr Pigeon," Nadja was saying. "The citizens of Paris are desperately awaiting the arrival of our two heroes. Will Beetlebug and Chat Noire be able to save us again?"

Marinette turned to Plagg, her features set in steely determination.

"You know what this means...Plagg, claws out!"

Adrien Agreste

"Uh, Adrien?" Tikki's worried voice drifted through the room. Adrien glanced down where the Kwami was seated, and followed her gaze until he saw the television balanced above his desk.

"That's the man from the park," Adrien murmured, crawling down the ladder from his bed to get a better view of the footage. "He must have been akumatized."

"Then we better get out there and stop him," Tikki said, floating up from her perch on Adrien's desk until she was eye-level with her holder.

"You're right. Tikki, spots on!"

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette dashed along the rooftops of Paris, now dressed in her black, leather supersuit. The wind whipped through her hair; adrenaline pumped through her veins. She felt more alive than ever.

When she reached Notre Dame, the location she had last seen Mr Pigeon, she stopped and surveyed the area. It was completely vacant, which was a strange sight as there always seemed to be tourists photographing the building. The surrounding greenery, which was almost always in pristine condition, was completely trashed with litter that had blown out from the overturned trash cans, random objects (most likely dropped from fleeing people), and bird droppings. It was sad to see their beautiful city in such disarray.

 _Good thing Beetlebug can put the city back in order when this is all over._

As if on cue, Beetlebug appeared beside her, clipping his yo-yo to his belt as his gaze traveled along the ruins.

"So what's his goal? Proving how destructive pigeons are?" Beetlebug murmured to no one in particular. Marinette furrowed her brow, confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm pretty sure Mr Pigeon is this guy I saw in the park earlier today. He got in trouble with an officer for feeding the pigeons. The officer said the birds would just flood the area and scatter droppings everywhere. This is just proving that point."

Marinette nodded. Beetlebug was right, it didn't make sense. But, then again, akuma victims were always unpredictable.

A crash drew both of them from their thoughts and back to the matter at hand.

Adrien Agreste

Chat Noire dashed towards the noise, Adrien on her tail.

By the time they arrived at the park, the pigeons were gone, leaving only chaos in their wake.

"So what are we going to do, Seigneur?" Chat Noire asked, plopping down beside him. Adrien turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"Seigneur?"

She shrugged, and he was almost positive she was blushing. "It seemed fitting."

Adrien stared at her for a moment longer, then turned his attention back to the chaos in the park below them.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Adrien said, answering Chat Noire's original question. "Follow me."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette followed Beetlebug into the park. The red and black hero stopped and ducked behind a nearby tree, motioning for Marinette to do the same.

"Okay, here's the plan…"

Minutes later, Marinette was pushed in front of the trees, wearing a park keeper hat and whistling as she paced back and forth. Utterly bored, she began dancing, swaying to her own tune and adding in some flips and spins for good measure. Beetlebug popped his head out from behind the trees.

"What are you doing?! You have to act natural or Mr Pigeon'll never show up!"

"I am acting natural," Marinette said, still swaying. Beetlebug merely groaned and ducked back behind the trees. Marinette finally stopped dancing and turned back to face the trees.

"Do you really think this will work?"

"Not if you don't act natural and quit talking to me."

Marinette huffed and turned her attention back to the perfectly, manicured lawn.

Adrien Agreste

Adrien was leaning against the back of the tree, playing with a random pinecone and glancing towards his yo-yo, which he had opened and was using as a mirror. A loud sneeze caused him to jump and spin around. Chat Noire had her face buried in her elbow as another sneeze caused her shoulders to rise and fall. She groaned and raised her head, but then forced it back into her elbow with another sneeze.

And then Adrien heard the faint flapping of wings. He looked up just in time to see a huge flood of pigeons swoop down and scoop Chat Noire up.

"Chat Noire!" he yelled, grabbing his yo-yo and racing after his partner. The cloud of pigeons led Adrien to the top of a nearby building. They released Chat Noire, who landed in a crouch, still sneezing, but Mr Pigeon was still nowhere to be seen.

"That's strange," Adrien muttered, walking towards Chat Noire. "He's not-"

"AH HA!" a voice shouted, and Adrien found himself surrounded by metal bars.

 **Review Responses:**

 **@laurabavcon123, thank you so much!! Rena Rouge and Carapace will be in this story, but they're also Kwami swapped! Queen Bee will likely be in as well, and I'm planning on making this story as long as I'm able to!**

 **@GuardianAngel1234567, be patient!! Chloé has to break free of Sabrina's tyranny before she can become besties with Alya! ;) As for Hawkmoth, I would have loved to make Hawkmoth a guy and not you-know-who, but I'm trying to stay as true to closeted_demon's au as possible!!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this week's chapter! The next update will be February 16!**

 **See y'all then!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for the late update, but I hope you all enjoy chapter four!!**

Chapter Four

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette turned angrily towards the cackling voice. Mr Pigeon stared down at them, eyes gleaming.

"Give me your Miraculouses," he ordered, holding out his hand. Marinette swatted his outstretched hand away.

"Like we'd ever give up that easily," she spat, glaring at the birdman. Mr Pigeon leaned back and tapped his chin.

"Well, if you two aren't willing to cooperate," he started, allowing the silence to hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way." He turned to his pigeons and cooed. The pigeons bobbed their heads and flew into the air, creating a cyclone around the two heroes. Their feathers fluttered into the cage, causing Marinette to begin to sneeze again.

"Chat Noire, use your Cataclysm!" Beetlebug shouted. Marinette nodded and raised her hand in the air, shouting the command between her sneezes and closing her fingers around the glowing ball of green and black energy. She reached out and touched the metal bars. The cage disappeared into a pile of dust.

But the pigeons were still flocking around the two heroes, making it impossible to see. Marinette felt Beetlebug's hand close around her arm, dragging her into the building they were standing on. Marinette's sneezes ceased as soon as they were out of the pigeon cyclone.

She glanced around, taking in the golden furnishes and the red carpet. She would have recognized this place anywhere.

"This is the Bourgeois hotel," she murmured.

Moments after the words left her mouth, Chloé's mom rounded the corner, confirming Marinette's statement.

"Ah, Beetlebug! Chat Noire! What a wonderful surprise!" The blonde woman wrapped her arms around the two heroes, pulling both of them into a tight hug. "You two are going to stop these pigeons...right?"

"Of course we are," Marinette said, smiling widely, but her smile became sheepish when she heard her earrings beep. "Er, before we do, I have an urgent need." She was bouncing up and down, praying Plagg could hold out for a few more minutes.

She definitely didn't want Mayor Bourgeois to realize she was Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Understanding dawned on Chloé's mother, and she summoned one of the butlers over to her side. "Take Chat Noire where she needs to go, and give her whatever she requires."

The butler nodded and started towards the elevator, motioning for the heroine to follow. She dashed into the elevator, her earrings beeping once again.

 _Please, please, please don't detransform yet._

Adrien Agreste

Chat Noire disappeared into the elevator, still bouncing up and down as if she was about to wet herself. It was pretty funny, and Adrien found himself smirking as he watched the heroine. Yeah, he knew the real reason why she was hopping around, but that didn't make the situation any less entertaining.

When the elevator doors shut, Mayor Bourgeois turned her attention back to him.

"Here, come wait over here for your partner to return." She gestured to the lavish sitting area. "Is there anything we could get you?"

"Uh, maybe just some water," Adrien said, sitting in the proffered seat.

Mayor Bourgeois clapped her hands and sent one of her butlers to fetch some water. The butler bowed and hurried off.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The butler led Marinette to a lavish room. He opened the door and bowed, asking if there was anything else she would like.

"Uh, could I have some Camembert?" she asked, still bouncing like a maniac (as if her movement would slow her detransformation at all). The butler looked taken aback, but nodded. As soon as he left, Marinette slammed the door. She let out a sigh of relief and opened her mouth, intending to release Plagg from her earrings, but was interrupted by three raps on the door. She threw it open to reveal the butler, holding a silver tray out to her. Marinette grabbed the tray and thanked him before slamming the door shut again. She set the tray on the nearby table and checked the door was locked before collapsing back on the bed. Her earrings beeped one last time, and she felt her costume fade away. An exhausted Plagg collapsed on the bed beside her, moaning about his cheese, as usual. Marinette smiled and pushed herself off the bed to retrieve the tray. She set it on the bed and stepped back, not wanting to have the smell of Camembert hit her full in the face when Plagg removed the lid. The Kwami pushed himself up and shoved off the top, smiling widely when he saw the cheese. He dove in, downing half the wheel in a matter of seconds.

"I'll never understand how you eat that so fast," Marinette said, watching as Plagg popped another piece of cheese in his mouth, "but I'm glad you do because we have to get back out there."

"Not yet," Plagg said, shoving two more pieces of cheese in his mouth.

"Beetlebug is waiting for us, and pigeons are still messing up the city. We don't have time to laze around. Plagg, claws out!"

Plagg was dragged back into her earrings, dropping pieces of cheese in the process.

"I'll get you more cheese when this akuma is defeated," Marinette said, though she had no idea if Plagg could even hear her from inside the earrings.

Adrien Agreste

One thing Adrien learned while waiting for Chat Noire to arrive was that Mayor Bourgeois could _talk_. Thirty minutes had passed since Chat Noire had disappeared into the elevator, and Mayor Bourgeois had talked the _whole_ time. She didn't seem to run out of things to talk about, and she kept trying to get him to reveal clues as to who his civilian self was.

Needless to say, Adrien was overjoyed when his partner sauntered out of the elevator, eyes alight in amusement when she saw his expression.

"Ah, Chat Noire! Beetlebug and I were having _quite_ the conversation while you were gone," Mayor Bourgeois said, rising from her chair. Adrien scrambled to his feet and strode out of the room, grabbing Chat Noire's arm and dragging her along behind him.

"Yes, it was great talking with you, Mayor Bourgeois, but we have some pigeons to deal with," he called over his shoulder, refusing to look back. Once they were back in the halls, Chat Noire yanked her arm away, doubling over in laughter.

"You should have seen your face!" she gasped out between laughs. Adrien crossed his arms, scowling down at his partner.

"Well, if this is how you're going to act, remind me to never be happy to see you ever again." But, despite his semi-harsh words, he had a smile on his face as he watched his partner doubled over in laughter. After a few minutes, Chat Noire finally managed to compose herself. She stood up, wiping her eyes as the last remaining chuckles escaped through her lips.

"Okay, okay, I'm done," she said, turning to Adrien, who was tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for her to calm down

"Good. Those pigeons won't deal with themselves. Now, do you have any idea how to get out of here?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

It took only ten minutes for them to reach the front door of the hotel,but those ten minutes felt like eternity to Adrien. How much damage were those pigeons causing while they traveled through this labyrinth of hallways?

"It's too quiet," Chat Noire said as soon as they stepped onto the sidewalk. Adrien nodded in agreement. The last time they were outside, the pigeons had created a cyclone, and all they could hear was the flapping of thousands of wings. This time, however, there was only silence.

"This can't be good," Adrien mumbled, scanning the streets. "Let's get to the roof. We'll be able to see the city better from up high."

But, even from up high, the city was eerily still.

"I don't understand-"

"Beetlebug, look!"

Adrien turned to his partner and then followed her gaze.

"Nice work. Kitten," he said, not even realizing he had just given her a nickname. Chat Noire blushed and stuttered out a thanks, but Adrien was too focused on figuring out a plan to realize his partner's strange behavior. After a moment, he turned to Chat Noire, his expression brighter now that he knew what to do.

"Okay, here's the plan…"

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The two heroes raced along the rooftops as quietly as they possibly could. Beetlebug's plan could only work if they managed to take Mr Pigeon by surprise, and Marinette could only hope her newly discovered feather allergies didn't screw this up.

But, of course, just seconds after they reached the Grand Palais, there was a tingling in Marinette's nose. She clamped her mouth shut, trying to shut down the sneeze, but it was useless.

"ACHOO!"

Mr Pigeon whirled around, his eyes narrowing as he searched for the source of the sneeze.

"You two again? I thought my pigeons had dealt with you already," he huffed. "Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to have a bit more fun. Pigeons, attack!"

The pigeons flooded forward, shoving the two heroes straight into the bars of the giant birdcage Mr Pigeon was using to hold the park keepers hostage. Marinette glanced at Beetlebug.

"Now would be a good time to use that Lucky Charm."

Beetlebug nodded and tossed his yo-yo in the air. There was a flash of red, and then a red and black coin landed in Beetlebug's hand. Marinette turned her attention back to the pigeons as Beetlebug scanned the area.

"Cover me!" he shouted a moment later, drawing Marinette's attention back to him. Beetlebug bolted left, coin outstretched in front of him. Marinette followed, batting away the birds when they came too close to her partner. Beetlebug slammed the coin into a vending machine, pressing one of the buttons and fending off the pigeons as he waited for his snack to drop out.

 _What is he doing?_ Marinette wondered, batting away more pigeons. Her sneezes were becoming uncontrollable, but she couldn't leave her partner to fend for himself, no matter how crazy he was acting right now.

The package dropped out from the vending machine, and Beetlebug turned back to the akuma times villian. In one swift movement, he slid under Mr Pigeon, jumped over a support beam, grabbed the package of food he had released from the vending machine, and threw it in the air.

"Chat Noire! Your staff!"

Understanding dawned on Marinette. She jumped up, extending her staff and popping open the bag. Popcorn exploded into the air, surrounding the akumatized villain Beetlebug had hung upside down. The bird calling slipped off his neck when he lifted his hands batting away the birds pecking at the food. Marinette and Beetlebug jumped at the whistle at the same time, but Mr Pigeon had realized what was happening. Beetlebug had dropped his yo-yo when the whistle had fallen, meaning Mr Pigeon was free (and much closer to the whistle than either hero). Their hands landed atop the akumatized object mere seconds apart, but Mr Pigeon's hand was at the bottom of their stack. He grinned at the heroes.

"Looks like your plan failed, Bugger."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Beetlebug said, grabbing hold of Marinette's arm and smashing her hand on Mr Pigeon's. The whistle crumbled, releasing the akuma into the air.

"No!" Mr Pigeon wailed as his costume melted away. Beetlebug jumped up and used his yo-yo to purify the moth, releasing the white butterfly back into the air and then tossing his yo-yo in the air. The mini ladybugs began restoring the damages; Beetlebug turned to his partner, arm extended for their victory fistbump.

"Pound it!"

"Well, I hate to leave you to deal with the victim all by yourself, but I gotta go," Beetlebug said sheepishly as his ring began to beep.

"You can't be the only clean-up crew around here," Marinette teased, waving her partner off. Beetlebug laughed and then dashed away, shouting "Bug out!" over his shoulder as he disappeared down the street. Marinette smiled and then turned back to the victim, kneeling down beside him.

"You okay?" she asked. Mr Ramier looked up, rubbing his head, and then nodded.

"Y-yeah, I think so."

Marinette nodded and handed him the newly repaired birdcall. "I believe this is yours."

Mr Ramier smiled and took the whistle from Marinette's outstretched hand. "Thank you, Chat Noire."

"You're welcome," Marinette said with a smile. She stood up and walked away, leaving Mr Ramier in the care of the officers who had just arrived on the scene.

 _Another victory for Beetlebug and Chat Noire._

Adrien Agreste

Adrien clicked through his photos. The photography contest was today, and he still had no idea what he was going to do. He sighed and flopped back on his bed, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to come up with something, anything, to help him win the competition.

 _That's it!_

He scrambled up and grabbed his camera, dashing out the door.

Nino Lahiffe

The competition was today, and the school was abuzz with conversation. Each photographer had created a portfolio and had pasted their photos on a posterboard. Many of the posters were decorated, with the photographer's name in big letters along the top or bottom or side. A few posters were blank minus the scribbled name in the corner and the photos scattered along it.

Nino was pacing by the door, waiting for Adrien to arrive. He glanced at his watch and then at the door. Marinette would be arriving soon. Today was really not the day for Adrien to be late. Minutes ticked by, and Nino became more and more anxious.

Finally, the doors banged open. Nino whirled towards the sound and then deflated when he saw Marinette standing in the doorway rather than Adrien. Marinette had a woman standing beside her. The woman turned to Marinette and asked her something. Marinette nodded and walked briskly towards the principal's office, the woman following behind. They disappeared into the room; Nino turned his attention back to the door, willing Adrien to burst through.

Marinette and the woman emerged with Mr Damocles a few minutes later, and Nino deflated once again. Adrien was going to miss the whole competition!

"Hey, you okay?" Alya asked, appearing by Nino's side. Nino whirled towards her, eyes wide, and then relaxed when he realized who it was.

"Oh, y-yeah. I'm just waiting for Adrien."

"He's still not here?"

"Well, he's almost always late. I'm just worried he'll miss the whole competition. He was so excited about it-"

The doors banged open; Alya and Nino whirled around just as Adrien dashed in.

"Did I miss it?"

"Not yet, but you better hurry. They're almost done judging," Nino said, gesturing towards the the makeshift gallery. "They started on that end, so I'd suggest pinning your photos on this end."

Adrien nodded and dashed off in the direction Nino had instructed. He hurriedly taped up his poster and stepped back, trying to calm his racing heart as he waited for the judges to reach him. Nino and Alya had gravitated towards his poster, studying his photos as they waited for Marinette and the woman, who was introduced as Nathalie and informed the students that Sabine Dupain-Cheng would be judging their work via the tablet Nathalie held in her hands, to reach his portfolio.

"What an interesting take on the theme," Sabine said once they had reached Adrien's poster. "You made the focal point of each photo a pigeon, but met the requirements with the background of each photo."

Adrien nodded his head, wringing his hands as they scrutinized his work.

Sabine studied his work for a moment longer and then nodded at Nathalie. "I'm ready to decide."

Nathalie turned and walked briskly back into the principal office, followed by Mr Damocles and Marinette. Nino and Alya stepped closer.

"Dude, your photos are awesome. No one is going to be able to beat those."

"I would be so sure, Four-Eyes," Sabrina's shrill voice cut through the air as she marched over to them. " _My_ photos are obviously the best."

"Come on, Sabrina. You obviously stole those off the internet," Nino said. "You didn't even bother taking off the photographer's signature!"

"How dare you-"

"We have come to a decision!" Mr Damocles boomed as he emerged from his office, followed by Nathalie and Marinette. "Ms Dupain-Cheng, would you like to give the final verdict?'

Nathalie stepped forward, the tablet balanced in her hands. Sabine cleared her throat; the students clustered together.

"We have decided that the winner of the competition is…" she paused, her eyes scanning the student's faces, "...Adrien Agreste!"

"Did you hear that, dude?" Nino said, shaking Adrien excitedly.

"Nice job, Adrien!" Alya congratulated him, wrapping him in a hug.

"That can't be right!" Sabrina screeched, crossing her arms and stamping her feet.

Marinette rushed down and dragged Adrien up to where Nathalie was standing.

"Congratulations, Mr Agreste," Nathalie said. The tablet was dark now, meaning Sabine had hung up. Nathalie tucked the device under her arm and handed Adrien a packet of papers. "Your training begins next week. This is Marinette's current modeling schedule. We will contact you if anything changes."

Adrien nodded and took the papers, still unable to believe he had won. Nathalie shook his hand once more and then turned and left the school as briskly as she had walked in. Mr Damocles waved his hands, quieting the students.

"Thank you all for your participation. Please make your way to your first period class. Today's altered school schedule will be explained by your first period teacher."

Adrien and Marinette joined the flood of students making their way to class. Adrien glanced down at the papers in his hand, smiling widely. He had won. He would be spending a month with Marinette.

This was, by far, the best day ever.

 **Review Responses:**

 **@Mistress-Mysterious and @BlueMonica, thank you so much!!**

 **@GuardianAngel1234567, just wait! Sabrina's time will come!**


	5. Chapter Five

**Sorry if I confused anyone this past weekend. I don't have my phone, which is what I usually use to upload chapters, so when I tried to use my computer, the formatting was screwed up.**

 **I'm sorry to say that my updates are not going to be on their usual schedule. I may not even be able to upload another chapter this month. I do hope you all continue to follow my story despite my inactivity. I promise to let you all know when updates return to normal.**

 **Anyways, here's Chapter Five!**

Chapter Five

Adrien Agreste

It had been nearly three weeks since Adrien had won the photography contest, meaning he had attended seven modeling shoots with Marinette. He had to admit, the first few shoots were pretty awkward, but now...now he was actually pretty comfortable with Marinette. Yeah, he still had his moments of idiotic babbling, but he had managed to have a whole conversation with her the other day. The more he talked with her, the more he fell in love with her. Now he knew for sure that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the most amazing and perfect girl he had ever met.

"Adrien! You're going to be late!" Emilie called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming!" Adrien called back, checking his appearance one last time in the mirror. Today was Marinette's birthday, and he was determined to not make a fool of himself. He had already wrapped and packed her gift in his backpack and had spent the past ten minutes practicing his greeting to her in the mirror.

"Adrien! I mean it!"

"Alright, alright!" Adrien grabbed his bag off his desk chair and bounded down the stairs. His mother handed him his usual breakfast; Adrien kissed her cheek.

"Happy birthday! Er, I mean, bye!" He dashed out, his cheeks burning. He was already making a fool of himself, and he hadn't even seen Marinette yet.

He forced himself to walk to school, not wanting to look like a gasping, sweaty fish when he saw Marinette. He wanted to give her the gift before class, and so he spent the entire walk practicing his greeting in his head.

 _Hey, Marinette! I heard it's your birthday, so I got you this!_

No, too long.

 _Happy birthday, Marinette!_

Yeah, short and simple.

He shook away his thoughts when he reached the school. Marinette was just climbing out of the limo when he arrived, and all of Adrien's practiced confidence flew away, causing the blonde to duck behind the stairs, clutching Marinette's gift and attempting to regain his composure.

"What are you doing, dude?"

Adrien jumped out of his skin and whirled around, coming face to face with his best friend.

"Nino! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Well I wouldn't have scared you if you weren't hiding behind a bush."

Adrien scowled, but didn't move from his spot. Nino's eyes landed on the gift in Adrien's hand. He raised his eyebrows.

"Is that for Marinette?" he asked, a sly smirk on his face.

"Maybe."

Nino laughed and dragged Adrien out from behind the bush, shoving him towards the model climbing the stairs. "Give it to her, dude!" he whisper-shouted, crossing his arms as he watched his friend stumble up the stairs behind Marinette. Adrien glared at Nino and then took a deep breath.

 _You can do this, Agreste._

"Er, Marinette?"

She turned around and broke into a smile when she saw who had spoken.

"Hey, Adrien."

Her smile took Adrien's breath away, and his prepared greeting flew from his mind once again.

"I, uh, um..." He glanced down at the gift in his hand, trying to remember why he was holding the box, but Sabrina shoved him aside before he was able to say anything.

"Marinette!" Sabrina squealed, throwing her arms around the bluenette. "Happy birthday!" She whirled around and grabbed the gift Chloé was holding and handed it to Marinette. Then the redhead wrapped her arm around Marinette's shoulder, leading the model into the school, Chloé trailing behind them.

Adrien sighed and trudged into the school, the gift dangling dejectedly beside him.

"Cheer up, Adrien," Nino said, wrapping his arm around Adrien's shoulders much like Sabrina had done to Marinette. "You can drop it by her house later today."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette wiggled out of Sabrina's grip as soon as they entered the school. She ignored the redhead's protests, turning to Chloé and wrapping her in a hug before waving at the two girls and running off to find Alya.

"Marinette!"

The blunette whirled around and brightened when she saw her friend waving from one of the benches. Marinette slid into the seat beside Alya, looking over her friend's shoulder at the notebook she had balanced on her knees.

"I'm writing a song," Alya explained, holding the notebook up for Marinette to see.

"Can I read it?" Marinette asked, reaching for the notebook.

"It's not done yet, but I guess so." She handed the notebook to Marinette.

"This is really good, Alya," Marinette said when she had finished reading the lyrics. "I didn't know you were a songwriter."

"I'm a singer, too," Alya said, her cheeks turning pink as she spoke. Marinette gaped at her friend.

"How did I not know that you could sing?"

"It's not something I share with a lot of people," Alya admitted, shrugging. "And you're pretty dense sometimes."

"I am not dense!" Marinette protested, playfully swatting Alya's arm. Alya laughed and held up her hands, leaning away from Marinette.

"Okay, okay, I take it back!" Alya gasped out between giggles. Marinette laughed and dragged Alya back onto the bench. There was a beat of silence, and then Alya gasped.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" She dug through her bag and then pulled out black box. "Happy birthday!"

Marinette took the box from Alya's hand. She opened it and then gasped. A necklace lay in the box, gleaming up at Marinette. She gently lifted the necklace from the box, studying the charm dangling on the end. The charm was a silver heart with a small black microphone and a small black heel intertwined in the middle.

"It's a friendship necklace," Alya explained. "The microphone represents me and the heel represents you." She pointed to each charm as she spoke, then looked up at Marinette. "Do you like it?"

"No, Alya, I love it." She wrapped the brunette in a hug and then held up the necklace. "Can you put it on me?"

Alya nodded and took the necklace from Marinette's hands, unclasping the necklace and fastening it around Marinette's neck. She then slid back, allowing the bluenette to spin back around and face her.

It was at that moment the bell rang, causing both girls to scramble up from the bench, grab their bags, and sprint to their first class. They slid into their seats mere seconds before the bell rang. Miss Bustier entered a moment later, smiling widely.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Miss Bustier!"

Miss Bustier turned to the board and began writing; Alya leaned towards Marinette.

"Do you think your mom would let you have a birthday party?" she whispered. Marinette shook her head.

"I asked her this morning. She said we don't have time for silly parties."

"Don't have time? She's a multi-millionaire! She can make time!"

Marinette shrugged. "She doesn't like deviating from her schedule." But Marinette suspected the real reason her mother hated parties was because Tom had always been the party planner of the family. Marinette could almost remember the excited look on her father's face as he twirled her around the room, singing happy birthday. She could faintly recall being placed on his shoulders as they made their way to the store to buy balloons and the cake of her choice.

But those memories were blurry, replaced by the lonely nights trapped in her room, celebrating with her stuffed animals and the single cupcake Nathalie had handed her after dinner, her two presents balanced on her bed, waiting to be opened.

Marinette shook her head, clearing away her thoughts. She turned her attention back to Alya.

"All it would take is a few hours," Alya was saying. "You know what, I'm going to talk to her myself."

"Oh, Alya, I don't think that's a good ide-"

"Nonsense. Let me handle this, Mari. I'll talk some sense into that darling mother of yours." She patted her friend's hand and then turned her attention back to Miss Bustier.

 _This isn't going to end well._

Adrien Agreste

Class passed quickly, and, all too soon, it was lunchtime. It was a half day today, meaning the students were allowed to leave school as long as they signed out during lunch. Marinette and Alya signed their names and walked out of the school, chatting along the way. Adrien watched them pass, noticing Marinette's concerned expression as she listened to Alya.

"Hey, dude, are you going to give Marinette her gift?" Nino asked, sitting down beside his friend.

"Oh my gosh, I nearly forgot!" Adrien exclaimed, jumping up, grabbing his bag, and dashing to the sign out sheet. Nino couldn't help but snicker as he watched the blonde boy scramble around the room before dashing out the door.

By the time Adrien reached the Dupain-Cheng mansion, Alya and Marinette were long gone. Adrien glanced around, looking for some way to get his gift inside. He saw a mailbox by the gate and cautiously walked towards it. He reached out and grabbed the handle, trying to pull open the mailbox door, but it refused to move. He tried again, pulling harder this time, but the mailbox stayed shut.

He considered leaving the gift on the ground by the mailbox, but he worried someone else would steal the gift or it would be forgotten and become a weathered mush of material.

 _I can just give it to her tomorrow,_ he decided, stepping back, but, before he could get very far, a camera shot out of the gate, pointing at Adrien.

"What are you doing?" a harsh voice demanded. Adrien jumped back and gulped.

"I, uh, have a gift. For Marinette." He held up the package for the camera to see. The voice on the other end remained silent. "I-I'm one of her friends," Adrien said, lowering the gift back to his side.

"You're the boy who won the photography competition, aren't you?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Adrien stammered, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Very well. Place your gift in the box, and I'll be sure to give it to Marinette."

The mailbox opened; Adrien stepped forward and placed the gift in the box. The mailbox slammed shut the moment Adrien removed his hand. The camera had disappeared back into the gate, leaving Adrien alone on the sidewalk.

 _I guess that's my cue to leave._ He walked away, feeling a little lighter now that he knew Marinette would get his gift.

When he reached the school, Nino was seated on the steps, waiting for him.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked as soon as he saw Adrien.

"I mean, I put the gift in her mailbox, so I guess pretty good."

"You didn't give it to her?"

"She wasn't there."

"Did you at least sign it?"

Adrien froze, his eyes widening.

"I'm guessing that's a no."

"I forgot to sign it!"

"Yeah, that's definitely a no."

"I can't believe I forgot to sign it!"

"Hey, dude, calm down. We can tell Marinette tomorrow."

But Adrien had his head in his hands, repeating the same phrase over and over again. "I can't believe I forgot to sign it!"

Nino sighed and shook his head. _This is a lost cause._

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette and Alya reached the gate leading to the Dupain-Cheng mansion. Marinette pressed the buzzer on the side of the gate and stepped back. The camera jumped out of the gate, just as Marinette expected.

"Oh, Marinette. You're home early," Nathalie said through the microphone.

"We had a half day," Marinette explained. Rather than answering, Nathalie swivelled the camera to face Alya.

"Who is this?"

Marinette opened her mouth to respond, but Alya beat her to it.

"I'm Alya Césaire. Marinette's best friend."

The camera was silent for a moment.

"Yes, Marinette has mentioned you. What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to Marinette's mom."

"Why?"

"Because it's Marinette's birthday, and I want to throw her a party."

Nathalie was quiet for another moment.

"I'm sorry, but Ms Dupain-Cheng is incredibly busy right now."

"Oh, well, I can come back later."

"Oh, no, don't bother. Ms Dupain-Cheng is busy all day." The hidden message was clear as day: Ms Dupain-Cheng already said no, so leave it alone.

But Alya, of course, was far too stubborn to give up that easily.

"Well, if Ms Dupain-Cheng is too busy to talk, could you at least give her a message?'

Nathalie sighed. "Very well."

"Tell Ms Dupain-Cheng that Alya Césaire would like to throw her daughter a birthday party. She asks that Marinette be allowed to attend this party and would love if Ms Dupain-Cheng would also attend." Alya turned to Marinette. "You have my number, right?" Marinette nodded.

"Good." Alya turned back to the camera. "Alya can be contacted via Marinette and sends her best regards. Got that?"

Nathalie sighed. "Yes, Alya, I got your message."

"Please see that it gets delivered."

Marinette had to hide a snicker. Alya's curt attitude to Nathalie was more than a little funny. The brunette turned to Marinette, a wise smile on her face. She wrapped the bluenette in a hug and then strode off down the street, turning around to wave at her friend before disappearing around the corner. Marinette turned back just as the gate swung open, allowing her to enter back into her lavish prison.

Alya Césaire

Alya knew Sabine wouldn't call her back. In fact, deep down, she knew Sabine wouldn't let Marinette have a party at all. Alya sighed and rolled onto her stomach, grabbing her phone off her nightstand and typing a text to Marinette.

 **Alya C: Hey, do you think your mom would let you come over today?**

If Marinette could get out of her house, maybe Alya would be able to throw a party for her whether or not her mother allowed her.

But her hope was crushed a moment later.

 **Marinette DC: I don't think so. She's not in the best mood today and something came up at work.**

 **Alya C: That's dumb! It's your fricken birthday!**

 **Marinette DC: Yeah...**

 **Alya C: I'm gonna go back and knock some sense into that woman.**

 **Marinette DC: No, Alya, don't! You'll only make things worse!**

Alya grit her teeth. Marinette's mother didn't seem to have a heart at all.

 **Alya C: I can't believe she won't let you have a party.**

 **Marinette DC: It's alright, Alya. Really. I'm used to this.**

 **Alya C: Just cause you're used to it doesn't mean it's right.**

 **Marinette DC: I know, but it's really okay Alya. We can celebrate at school tomorrow or something.**

 **Marinette DC: Oh, I got to go. Nathalie's calling me. Love you 3**

 **Alya C: Love ya too Mari 3**

Alya clicked off her phone and flopped back on her bed, her anger coursing through her veins. Parents always ruin everything.

Adrien Agreste

Nino eventually managed to calm Adrien down, promising to help the blonde fix this mistake tomorrow. Adrien had trudged home, still cursing himself for forgetting to sign the gift.

 _This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't chickened out earlier,_ he scolded himself as he pushed open the bakery door. Emilie looked up when the bell jangled and pursed her lips at her son's expression.

"Adrien, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Adrien muttered, waving off his mother's concern. "I'm just tired."

"Oh, well, why don't you go upstairs. You can go to bed early tonight, and you'll feel better in no time."

Adrien nodded and trudged up the stairs, dropping his backpack on his desk chair and flopping onto his bed. Tikki wiggled out of his shirt pocket and perched on the pillow by his head.

"Come on, Adrien. Everything will work out. There's no need to stress over this."

Adrien sighed and turned his attention to the window. "I know, I just..." He trailed off when his eyes caught on a weird floating object. "Tikki, is that-" But his question was cut off by cackling.

"An akuma!" Tikki and Adrien shouted at the same time. Adrien whirled to the Kwami.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her phone buzzed once, alerting her of a new text, but Marinette ignored it. The text was probably from Alya, and Marinette didn't feel like talking to her best friend right now, especially since Alya only wanted to talk about how angry she was at Sabine. Not that Alya didn't have a right to be angry at Sabine, but Marinette didn't want to think about her mother right now.

"Cheer up, kid," Plagg said, popping another piece of Camembert in his mouth as he watched Marinette sulk. "We could always sneak out as Chat Noire and do something fun."

"Wouldn't that be taking advantage of our powers?"

Plagg shrugged. "It'd be a special treat."

Marinette sighed and flopped back on her pillows.

"Or we could continue pouting," Plagg murmured sarcastically, turning his attention to the muted television. The screen was currently playing some cheesy romantic story. Plagg gagged and reached for the remote, but the movie was interrupted by Nadja Chamack, who was commenting on some footage taken by the school.

"Uh, kid? You might wanna see this."

Marinette sat up as Plagg clicked on the volume.

"...these floating objects appear to be huge bubbles carrying adults into the air. Could this be another akuma or-" Nadja was cut off as the screen shifted again, this time to a video of Alya, but this Alya was blue and pink from head to toe and she was sneering at the camera.

"Good evening, boys and girls. I am the Bubbler, and I'm here to bring a stop to those strict parents who keep their kids from having fun!"

Marinette tuned out the rest of the akuma's message and jumped out of bed.

"We need to stop her before Paris becomes completely adultless. Plagg, claws out!"

 **So, yeah, I'm leaving y'all on a cliffhanger...please don't hate me. I'm hoping to post Chapter Six soon after I finish writing it, but I don't know when that will be since I've been feeling very uninspired lately.**

 **Until next time my lovely readers!**

 **~ sierramtns**


	6. Chapter Six

**Again, chapters are updated off their normal schedule. I'm sorry for any confusion this causes, and I apologize if you hate not knowing when updates will occur. I'll resume the schedule once I get my phone back full time.**

 **Before we begin, I have a quick question for y'all: Would it be confusing if I changed my style? As in I start using their superhero names whenever they're in their suits, whether or not that section is written in their "perspective." I'll, of course, go back and edit the other chapters to match. Please either leave a review or PM me with your answers.**

 **Chapter Six is written in the same format as the other five chapters, so the change would only affect later chapters.**

Chapter Six

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

The familiar sensation of her transformation washed over Marinette, her civilian clothes becoming covered by the black, leather suit. When her transformation was complete, Marinette jumped out her window and dashed along the rooftops towards the school. She knew why Alya had been akumatized, and she wished she had realized this sooner.

Music and shouting drew Marinette's attention before she could even get past the first rooftop. Curious, she crept along the roof and peeked over the edge. There, in the courtyard, was Marinette's entire class. Alya was standing on a platform, a microphone clutched in her hand. Behind her was Juleka on the guitar and Rose singing backup chords. Unnerved by the whole situation, Marinette ducked back behind the rooftop and whispered, "Claws out." Her suit faded away, spitting Plagg into the air. She grabbed the Kwami and shoved him in her purse before making her way down to the courtyard. When she arrived, Alya stopped singing, motioning for Rose and Juleka to stop as well.

"Marinette! Happy birthday!" Akumatized Alya rushed down off the platform and wrapped her arms around Marinette's neck before dragging the bluenette over to the platform, chattering the whole way about how the world is so much better without adults. She hopped back onto the platform and bellowed for Juleka and Rose to begin playing and singing again, glaring at the guests until they started dancing once more.

A skinny boy with huge glasses sagged against the wall, sweat pouring down his face. He was obviously exhausted, but Alya didn't seem to care. "Max! You better start dancing again!"

"I-I'm too tired, Al-ya."

Alya narrowed her eyes and yanked out her bubble wand, pointing it at Max. "Well, if you're so tired, why don't you take a nice long nap in the sky." In one swift movement, Max was enclosed in a bubble and floating up to the sky. The other guests froze, watching Max disappear into the clouds. Alya turned her fierce stare on them. "Do you want to be next!?" she demanded, waving her bubble wand towards them. They all shook their heads and began swaying again, their eyes now wide with fear.

"Alya, this isn't right," Marinette said, turning to her friend. Alya waved off her worry.

"Nonsense. They're loving this. Right guys?"

The guests nodded furiously in unison. Alya turned back to Marinette, grinning widely. "See?"

But Marinette still wasn't convinced. She desperately hoped Beetlebug showed up soon. She wasn't sure how much longer her classmates would last.

Adrien Agreste

Dressed in his red and black spotted suit, Adrien jumped off his balcony onto the school building, but the Bubbler appeared to be long gone. He unclipped his yo-yo, attempting to contact Chat Noire, but she wasn't able to be contacted. Sighing, Adrien clipped the weapon back to his hip.

Where would this villain go next? To find that answer, Adrien had to determine what had caused the akumatization. He knew the Bubbler was Alya, but what would make Alya mad enough to transform into a villain? And what was the deal with the disappearing parents?

Adrien knew Marinette's mother was pretty strict, and Alya was Marinette's best friend. Was it possible Sabine Dupain-Cheng was the reason Alya had been akumatized?

 _Well, there's only one way to find out._

Adrien dropped down on the rooftop, drawn to the courtyard by the blaringly loud music. Shuffling along on the pavement was his classmates, including akumatized Alya. Everyone looked downright miserable (minus Alya, of course). Marinette, who Adrien assumed was the person this party was being thrown for, was sending apologetic glances to her classmates. It was obvious she felt this was her fault.

Adrien slid down onto the ground, detransforming from Beetlebug and rushing out onto the courtyard. He slid in beside Nino, matching the boy's movements. "What's going on?" he asked, his gaze moving along the crowd as he waited for Nino's response.

"Alya...she won't let us stop dancing. She sent Max into the sky because he was too tired to go on." Nino's words were practically a pant, showing just how exhausted the boy was. "Mari is the only one who doesn't have to dance."

No wonder Marinette felt this was her fault.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

There was still no sign of Beetlebug, and the "guests" were becoming more and more tired with each passing minute. Marinette turned to Alya, an idea sparking. "Why don't we take a break for refreshments? I'm starving and I'm sure everyone else is as well."

Alya froze, eyes widening. "Oh, yeah! I'll, uh, go grab that." She rushed out of the courtyard; Marinette turned to her classmates, another apologetic smile on her lips. And then, not knowing what else to do, she turned and dashed away, transforming into Chat Noire the moment she was out of sight.

She had clambered onto the roof of the mansion and seated herself on the floor, her baton open as she attempted to contact Beetlebug. She groaned and threw her head back when her request was rejected for what felt like the hundredth time. Her grip on the weapon tightened a moment later when the soft thump of feet hitting the rooftop sounded from her right. She whirled around, staff held in front of her, but her stance relaxed a moment later when she saw who it was.

"Took you long enough," she muttered, lowering her arm to her side and shooting Beetlebug an annoyed glare as she plopped herself back on the roof. Beetlebug chuckled and slid down beside her.

"Sorry. I got caught up in that party." He jerked his thumb back to the courtyard.

Marinette nodded. Before either of them could say another word, Alya returned. Marinette peeked over the edge and watched as Alya entered the courtyard, balancing a cake in her hands. The cake was massive and probably cost a fortune, but Alya, being akumatized and having sent all the adults into the air, had probably gotten it for free.

The cake fell from her hands no sooner had she entered the courtyard, splattering icing across the pavement and all over the guests asleep across the courtyard.

"What are you guys doing!?" Alya shrieked, causing the students to bolt awake, eyes wide with fear. "This is a _party_! You're supposed to be _partying_ , not sleeping!" She grabbed the bubble wand resting on her waist and raised it into the air.

"No!" Marinette shouted, diverting Alya's attention. She whirled around, her eyes narrowing when her eyes fixed on Marinette. "Are you here to crash my party, little kitty?" she challenged, raising her wand at the superheroine.

"This isn't a party. This is a nightmare."

Alya's glare intensified. "How dare you! This is the best party anyone has ever thrown!"

"Parties are supposed to be fun," Beetlebug said, jumping up beside his partner. "And no one is having fun at this party."

Alya's face became red with fury. "Shut up, both of you!" She waved her wand and encased both heroes in a bubble. "I refuse to let you two mangy mutts ruin my party!" And, with that, she sent their bubble into the air.

Adrien Agreste

The bubble soared into the air. Despite the seriousness of the situation, all Chat Noire could seem to focus on was the insult Bubbler had thrown at them.

"I'm not a mangy mutt," she whimpered, watching the courtyard fade away. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Focus, Chat. We have bigger problems."

She turned to him, eyes practically pleading with him. "Do you think I'm a mangy mutt."

Adrien sighed. "No, Chat, of course I don't think you're a mangy mutt. Now, can we please focus on getting out of here and saving Paris?"

She blinked at him and then nodded, turning her attention back to the city floating away below them.

"We're at the Eiffel Tower," she said, pointing to the giant steel landmark coming into view. Adrien followed her finger, a plan forming in his mind. He turned to Chat Noire with a grin.

"Chat, would you be kind enough to use your Cataclysm?"

She matched his grin with one of her own, raising her paw and shouting "Cataclysm!" Her fingers closed around the ball of black energy; she lowered her arm and pressed her palm against the side of the bubble. It disintegrated into dust, and the two heroes began to plummet towards the ground. Adrien wrapped his arm around Chat Noire's waist and wrapped his yo-yo around the top of the Eiffel Tower, using it to swing them to safety.

Their feet hit solid ground a minute later, but neither hero took any time to celebrate. Instead, they bolted off towards the Dupain-Cheng mansion. This time, however, Adrien had a plan. He wouldn't let them get themselves stuck in another bubble, especially since Chat Noire had already used her special power. They had only until her Miraculous drained to defeat the Bubbler.

They reached the courtyard in record time. Alya whirled around as soon as the stepped in, her face twisted in annoyance. "You again? Why can't you guys leave me alone!" Her bubble wand was in her hand again; she waved it towards them. Chat Noire shoved him out of the way before he could react. "Use your Lucky Charm!" she shouted, dodging yet another bubble. Adrien wasted no time; he threw his yo-yo up and shouted "Lucky Charm!" There was a flash of red, and then a black and red spotted wrench landed in his hands.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette dodged another bubble, hoping Beetlebug would figure out a plan soon. She could only keep out of these bubbles for so long, and her earrings had already beeped for a second time, warning her of the three minutes she had before her transformation wore off.

Thankfully, Beetlebug lunged towards one of the pipes, using the wrench he had received from his Lucky Charm to undo one part from the other. Air spewed out of the pipe, blowing away the bubbles Alya was shooting from her bubble wand. Frustrated, Alya raised her wand higher, but Beetlebug's yo-yo wrapped around the wand before she could shoot out another bubble. He yanked the string; the wand snapped. Alya collapsed to her knees, an angry scream ripping from her throat. Beetlebug captured the released akuma in his yo-yo, allowing the white, purified butterfly to fly away a moment later. Alya's pink and blue suit slipped off.

Marinette's earrings beeped again; one toe remained on the paw print. "I gotta run," she said, waving hastily to Beetlebug before dashing away. Her transformation faded away as soon as she ducked behind the wall. Plagg was shoved in her purse once again (this time with the promise of cheese) as Marinette dashed out to join Alya.

She collapsed beside her friend and wrapped her arms around the brunette. "Thank goodness you're okay, Alya. I was so worried." She turned to Beetlebug, a faint blush on her cheeks as she spoke. "Thank you, Beetlebug."

Adrien Agreste

Adrien's cheeks turned pink when Marinette turned to him. "Oh, yeah, no problem." Even his superhero persona became tongue-tied around the model. His ring began to beep, causing his blush to deepen. "I, uh, better go." He dashed away before either girl could utter another word.

With his transformation worn off, Adrien returned to the scene as himself. The wave of ladybugs had flown across the city as soon as he had thrown up the wrench, cleansing the city of the damages Alya had caused while she had been akumatized. All the parents had been returned from the sky, and the teens forced to dance at Marinette's party had their energy restored. All was well again.

Minus the fact that Nino had completely missed the opportunity to film Beetlebug and Chat Noire for his Beetleblog. And the boy was completely distraught over that.

"Cheer up, Nino," Adrien said. "You'll get another opportunity soon."

Nino nodded, still glum over the missed footage. He brightened a moment later and turned to Adrien.

"Since we're here, you can sign your gift."

Adrien's eyes widened and he turned and rushed into the mansion, dragging Nino along behind him.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette stood at the gate, waving to the last of her classmates as they disappeared around the corner. Nathalie called her inside. As she entered the house, Nathalie handed her two gifts. "One from that classmate of yours and one from your mother," she explained. Marinette looked down at the gifts and then smiled at Nathalie.

"Thank you," she said before moving past her mother's assistant and heading to her room.

"Dinner will be served shortly," Nathalie called after her. Marinette nodded in understanding before disappearing up the stairs.

Once she was in her bedroom, she released Plagg from her purse and tossed the Kwami a piece of Camembert before he could even begin to complain. She sat down on her bed and picked up the first gift, the one Nathalie had said was from her classmate. A card was attached to the front; she untaped it from the gift and opened it, smiling as she read Adrien's hurried handwriting.

 _Happy birthday, Marinette!_

 _\- Adrien A._

She set the card aside and opened the gift, gasping when she saw what was inside. Adrien has created a collage of candid photos he must have taken at the photo shoots he had attended with her. Her response caused Plagg to divert his attention from his cheese long enough to raise his eyebrows at Marinette.

She set the collage aside and opened the gift from her mother. Inside was a small box, holding a personalized bracelet inside. The bracelet was composed of silver, decorated with swirls on the outside. The inside, however, held a personalized message from her mother.

 _Happy birthday, Mari. I love you now and forever._

She slipped the bracelet on, the message lifting her spirits. She and Sabine may not always agree, but she knew her mother loved her. Their relationship had struggled through the heartbreak that followed her father's disappearance, but her mother had never stopped loving her.

But knowing that didn't chase away the feeling that she had lost both of her parents when Tom disappeared.

Adrien Agreste

The next day, Adrien arrived just minutes before the first bell rang. Nino was standing in the doorway, waiting for him, as usual. But today, he wasn't alone. Standing beside Adrien's best friend was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was laughing at something Nino had said, but her attention switched to him when he entered the building.

"Adrien!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the blonde boy and causing his cheeks to heat up. She pulled away, a bright smile on her face. "I just wanted to thank you for your gift. It was really thoughtful and it made my day so much better."

Adrien could hardly comprehend her words. His brain had turned to mush the minute she had focused on him. It was only when he caught Nino's eye that he realized he was standing there, gaping like an idiot. He mentally shook himself and smiled. "I'm welcome I mean you're welcome." His face flushed again; Nino facepalmed. Thankfully, Marinette just flashed him another bright smile.

"I'll see you both in class," she said, waving to them both before turning and disappearing into the school. Once she was gone, Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien's shoulder and steered the blonde boy into the school.

"We seriously need to work on your social skills."

Adrien groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I have social skills," he muttered. "They just disappear when I'm around her."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette, satisfied now that she had properly thanked Adrien, slid into her seat beside Alya. Her best friend promptly turned, eyebrows raised.

"You know Agreste has a major crush on you, right?"

Marinette shook her head. "That can't be right. Adrien's just a friend."

Alya's expression transformed to one of bewilderment. "You cannot seriously be this dense, Marinette."

"I'm not dense!" Marinette protested. Alya merely pursed her lips, obviously not believing Marinette, but Ms Bustier entered the classroom before either girl could say anything more.

"Good morning, class! Since Valentine's Day is less than a month away, we're beginning a new chapter on fairy tales. Your final project will be due at the end of the month. I'm assigning you all into groups of four." She began reading off the names. After sorting the first two groups (one consisting of Sabrina, Chloé, Kim, and Max and the other consisting of Rose, Juleka, Nathaniel, and Ivan), Ms Bustier called out Marinette's name, placing her into a group with Adrien, Nino, and Alya. Alya and Marinette exchanged glances, grinning at one another; Nino nudged Adrien, smirking at the blonde.

Once the class was sorted into groups of four, Ms Bustier turned to the board and wrote down five titles: _The Princess and the Frog, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella,_ and _Rapunzel_. "Each group with choose one of the following fairy tales to base their project on. The next few weeks will be spent reading the tale and creating a chart depicting the plot. On Valentine's Day, we'll compare the plots and make a list of similarities between the tales."

She then called on each of the groups, crossing off the tales as they were picked. When it was Marinette's group's turn, Alya jumped up and claimed the tale of Rapunzel. Ms Bustier crossed the title off; Alya grinned at her groupmates.

"We're going to perform a skit for our final project." It was obvious there was no room for negotiation. "Who would like to play Rapunzel?" She didn't even give anyone time to respond before barreling forward. "I vote Marinette. Any objections?"

"I object," Marinette said. She couldn't play the main character. She was a model, not an actor.

"Perfect. Marinette will play the princess," Alya said, ignoring Marinette's objection. "Now, who should play the prince."

Nino wasted no time. "I vote Adrien."

The blonde boy flushed red and shook his head. "I can't do that."

Alya, once again, ignored the objection. "I agree. Adrien is the perfect person to play the prince. Nino and I can figure out our roles once we finish the book."

Adrien and Marientte exchanges worried glances, but there was nothing either of them could do. Alya had made up her mjnd, and it was obvious neither of them would be able to change it.


End file.
